Edwards wins at Bristol, securing spot in Chase

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) -- When Carl Edwards was paying his bills as a substitute teacher, hoping and praying he'd someday make it into NASCAR, he pictured himself racing at Bristol Motor Speedway.

So after scoring his first career victory Saturday night at the Bristol bullring, Edwards felt like he was living a dream.

"It's such a huge win because it's Bristol. It's a short track. It's really tough. It's 500 laps. It's grueling," he said. "This is what I always thought of as a Nextel Cup race. This is what it's about. "A Saturday night at a really tough track that's historic. I guess to me, if you win at a track like this, it feels really good as a driver."

This one certainly did for Edwards, who clinched a spot in the Chase for the championship while picking up another 10 bonus points to use in his pursuit of the Nextel Cup title.