Las Vegas ‘House Money’ To Roush Fenway Racing

Las Vegas ‘House Money’ To Roush Fenway Racing

Anniversaries are fun to celebrate, but this weekend’s observance is one Carl Edwards would prefer to be less significant.
The Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marks exactly one year on the schedule since Edwards’ last victory. Another win or two over the remainder of the 2011 season might have made the Missouri driver the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion – avoiding the win-match that fell in Tony Stewart’s favor when the pair posted identical point totals at season’s end.
Interestingly, Edwards comes into the third race of the season mirroring the start of his last campaign.
He won the Coors Light Pole at Daytona and finished eighth. A year ago he was second in the Daytona 500.
His performance in Phoenix’s spring race hasn’t been memorable in either year: 28th in 2011, 17th last Sunday.
Edwards ranked 12th in points entering last year’s Las Vegas race. He’s currently 10th.
Don’t bet against the Kobalt Tools 400 being a case of déjà vu – especially with Roush Fenway’s Las Vegas resume and the team’s fast start across the board in 2012.
Edwards is a two-time Las Vegas winner, also taking the checkered flag in 2008. Teammate Matt Kenseth likewise has a pair of victories. The third Roush Fenway driver, Greg Biffle, has yet to go to Victory Lane in Las Vegas but is off to one of his best starts, posting third-place finishes at Daytona and Phoenix.
Each of the three Roush Fenway Ford drivers rank among the top 10 in points: Biffle second, Daytona 500 winner Kenseth fourth and Edwards 10th. Not a bad way to celebrate the team’s 25th season in NASCAR.
Based on its Las Vegas history, odds are good the organization’s record will have improved even more when Sunday’s checkered flag falls.
In 65 total starts, Roush Fenway drivers have recorded seven wins, 17 top-five and 34 top-10 finishes and led more than 1,200 laps.
More striking, at least one Roush driver has finished among the top 10 in all 14 of the track’s NASCAR Sprint Cup races, 12 times in the top five. The 1998 inaugural race saw Roush Fenway drivers finish second, fourth, sixth and 10th behind winner Mark Martin.