Edwards needs jolt

Success came quickly for Carl Edwards, who won four times and finished third in the championship race in his first full season at NASCAR’s top level. The next year was a disaster. Edwards (pictured right) failed to win a Sprint Cup race, missed the 2006 Chase, and learned it wasn’t as easy as it looked. This year’s position is precarious. With nine races to go to set the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field, Edwards is in danger of missing the 12-driver field. Although he is 11th in the standings, the last two spots go to race winners, and Edwards would be leapfrogged by Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne. Edwards tied Tony Stewart for the championship last season, losing what would have been his first Cup title on a heartbreaking tiebreaker. – AP