CE DIEHARDS – April 21, 2008 – Race Recaps
The fourth race at the 2.518 mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez was once again a race of strategy, and once again Carl Edwards was able to bring home another top-five finish at the track in the Corona Mexico 200.
The team struggled to find the right setup for the car as they were at the middle of the speed chart in both practice sessions. However, on Saturday in qualifying; Carl Edwards was able to hold the top-position until the final 5 cars of qualifying came out, and his 19-year old teammate Colin Braun took the Coors Light Pole. He was beat out one more position by veteran road racer Scott Pruett, and would settle for the inside of row 2.
The No. 60 Scotts Water Smart Ford Fusion was one of the top-contenders during the 200-mile/80 lap event, as crew chief Pierre Kuettel set the race on strategy. Kuettel brought Edwards down pit road for the first time on lap 19 for four tires, a minor adjustment and fuel, and when things had cycled through under the green flag, Edwards was running in the sixth position. Edwards was able to cycle through two more caution flags and would be able to take the lead on lap 47 for the second time in the event.
Then on lap 48, crew chief Kuettel’s strategy had gone out the door as another caution flag had fell. Under yellow, the team brought their driver down pit road for the final time during the race. Edwards went from 1st to 25th in the event. Edwards would then have to do the rest. Edwards made the correct moves as he moved from 25th to 21st in only five laps, and he was able to get back into the top-ten by lap 60 in the event. He was the fastest car on the track, and he was able to pick off five more positions, and move into fourth place in the event.
However, he wasn’t able to get around road racer Pruett for third and had to settle for fourth in the event. Yet, finishing in fourth was a great gain in the standings for Edwards as he moved in on championship leader Clint Bowyer for the championship lead with only 9 points seperating the two going into the race at Talladega.
Carl Edwards on the Corona 200: “That was fun. We just lost track position. We had a car that could win the race. That’s good. It’s too weeks in a row that we’ve been good. I’m really proud of the Water Smart guys, Scotts, Vitamin Water and everybody. My crew did a great job and it’s just too bad we got caught up on that caution, but we got to fight back and my hats off to Kyle Busch and everybody on that 20 team. They did a great job. That’s three in a row for them. The good thing is that’s two weeks in a row that we’ve had a car that can win. That’s good.”
Pierre Kuettel on the Corona 200: Our Scotts Water Smart Ford Fusion team did a great job today. The guys did a good job and our driver was just awesome. We worked really hard in practice to get this thing turned around. Carl did a fantastic job and that’s what we needed. We had a great points day and a very solid top-five finish.”