Carl Edwards Wins Kobalt Tool's 400 Vegas NASCAR 3.6.11

LAS VEGAS -- They had the field covered, they blew it, they got it back, they lost it again.

Tony Stewart still is trying to figure out what happened to him and his team.

"Somebody will have to explain to me how we lost this race today when we get done here," Stewart said on his radio moments after finishing second.

Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Ford team didn't need anyone to tell them how they won the Kobalt Tools 400. They were paying attention on the big gamble that worked -- temporarily -- by Stewart's team.

Tony Stewart, front, had the field, including Carl Edwards, rear, covered. But a mistake in the pits dealt Stewart a second-place hand in Las Vegas.

Stewart had an unbeatable car Sunday, or so it seemed. He had the show all to himself. But a pit road mistake (a tangled air hose that left the pit box with the car) brought a penalty and dropped Stewart from first to 23rd with 110 laps to go.

He moved up to 14th before crew chief Darian Grubb played the Vegas game and rolled the dice. They changed only left-side tires under a caution.

Stewart restarted first in what looked to be a foolhardy move. Going with two tires didn't work for Stewart last week at Phoenix. It didn't work for Jeff Gordon last year here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

It worked to perfection for Stewart with 66 laps to go. He was long gone, building a 4.5-second lead.

"I don't think it mattered what we did [with tires]," Stewart said. "We had a really balanced car."

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[jaqua524]

Tony had the field covered...until the end...i tell people this again and again, that 99 ALWAYS gets better by the end of the race, thats just how they are...prior to the last stop carl was running same laps as montoya, after the stop..2 tenths faster..i dont wana hear how tony threw it away...he had 35 laps to make up only a 1.5 second gap on carl...and couldnt do it, infact carl pulled away..regardless of the stop...carl edwards had the best car the last 40 laps..not stewart..i have raceview

[IrishCountryGirl923]

THANK GOD FOR THE WIN OR CARL AND FORD! LETS KEEP IT GOING NEXT RACE. FANTASTIC, EXCITING FINISH! SO GLAD I WATCHED IT INSTEAD OF TAKING A NAP!!!!

[47ambrose42jpm]

Way to go Ambrose! Great race Montoya!