Carl Edwards won two-in-a-row over the weekend at Phoenix International Raceway as Denny Hamlin struggled to hang on to the points lead.

photo credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR

Even though Edwards has won two consecutive Nationwide races, it was a 70-race winless streak he snapped in the Sprint Cup Series.

“A win is very important to us.  It’s a very big accomplishment for us.  I think it’s something that we needed for our confidence,” Edwards said. “We needed it as a payoff for all the hard work the guys have put in at the shop, the engine department.  It would be nice to get another one at Homestead, but to go into the off-season knowing that we’re getting better, looks like we have a legitimate shot to finish fourth in the points, to be in the All-Star Race next season, to have that energy going forward. All those things are good.”

Edwards led five times for a total of 93 laps Sunday including the final 46. Similar to the other NASCAR events over the weekend at Phoenix, the race ended after a long green flag run rather than multiple late race cautions which has become the norm. Fuel mileage began to come into play as drivers ran 72 laps uninterrupted until the checkered flag. Edwards picked up the lead for the final 46 laps when points leader Denny Hamlin surrendered his lead to pit for gas.

Edwards didn’t lead the most laps of the afternoon. Denny Hamlin led a race-high 190 of 312 laps until he had to come down pit road for fuel with 14 laps remaining. “Usually we have the best fuel mileage.  That part I just don’t understand,” Hamlin said.  “I can save fuel pretty well, but I was never alerted to save fuel.  So I assumed that everyone was going to have to pit.  I didn’t even think it was a question.”

Coming out of the pits 19th on the track, Hamlin was only able to pedal up to a 12th place finish losing ground in the standings with just one more race left in the season. “Trust me, I’d rather race next week knowing I need to go out there and I need to win the race than knowing I need to finish 15th,” Hamlin said.  “That’s the mentality I’m going to have next week, is to win the race.  Full-court press will be on.  It will be one of those things where you’ll probably see me as aggressive as I’ve been all year.

“It’s just one of those days that happens in racing.  That’s why we run these races.  Strategy is part of it.  Unfortunately we just had the bad end of the strategy today.”

Ryan Newman scored a runner-up finish at Phoenix followed by Joey Logano and Greg Biffle.

Defending series champion Jimmie Johnson finished 5th with Chase contender Kevin Harvick coming in 6th. Neither one of the two drivers chasing Hamlin for the championship led a lap in the race.

Matt Kenseth finished seventh with Mark Martin, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray rounding out the top-10.

For the (unofficial) race results, click here (nascar.com)

There were 5 cautions for 25 laps: 3-6 (#71 accident Turn 1); 60-65 (#12 accident Turn 1); 102-105 (Debris on track); 223-228 (#7 spin Turn 3); 235-239 (#38 spin Turn 2)

There were 13 lead changes among 6 drivers: C. Edwards 1-6; Kurt Busch 7-26; C. Edwards 27-60; B. Labonte 61-62; C. Edwards 63-65; D. Hamlin 66-102; C. Edwards 103-105; D. Hamlin 106-170; Kyle Busch 171-172; M. Kenseth 173; D. Hamlin 174-224; Kyle Busch 225-228; D. Hamlin 229-265; C. Edwards 266-312

Kasey Kahne had an unusual incident:

Next:
Sunday, November 21st -- Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (season finale)