Auto racing | Nextel Cup's Edwards races to Nationwide victory

MADISON, Ill. — Carl Edwards passed Jason Leffler with 48 laps remaining and cruised to victory in the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 on Saturday night.

It was Edwards' second win at Gateway International Raceway in three years and it came in front of a virtual hometown crowd. Edwards grew up in Columbia, Mo., about a two-hour drive from the track.

Joey Logan, the 18-year-old driver competing in just his fifth race, finished second after starting fourth. Jason Kelley took third, followed by Jason Leffler and London Cassill.

Derrike Cope of Spanaway was 34th.

Edwards earned his second victory on the Nationwide circuit in 22 starts.

He took advantage of the sixth caution of the 200-lap race to surge to victory. He got four tires and filled his tank, coming out of the pits third and quickly overtaking Leffler and James Buescher.

Notes

• Kyle Busch came up five spots short in his bid to make NASCAR history and Johnny Benson took advantage, holding off Michael Annett to win the Craftsman Truck Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

Busch was attempting to become the first driver to win in the Nextel Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series in successive starts. He won the Nationwide's Dollar General 300 on July 11 and the Cup's Lifelock.com 400 the following night.

• Saturday was Penske Racing's day, with Helio Castroneves, still seeking his first IndyCar title, and new teammate Ryan Briscoe taking the top two spots in qualifying for today's Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

• Lewis Hamilton edged Felipe Massa on the final lap to take the pole position for today's Formula One German Grand Prix. Hamilton's time of 1 minute, 15.666 seconds bested Massa by 0.193 seconds.

• A driver died in a four-vehicle accident at Toledo Speedway that sent the rear of his car slamming into a wall at 110 mph. Terry Gibson, a 46-year-old from LaRue, Ohio, died at the scene on Friday, according to the Lucas County coroner's office.