Mike Edwards Motorsports
Edwards Utterly Dominates Bristol In Victory Sets low e.t. each round to score second of 2009 In
quite honestly, the most dominating performance in his NHRA Pro Stock career, Mike Edwards from the
first qualifying run on Friday of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, to the final round on Sunday,
the A.R.T./Young Life Pontiac was the star of the class. On all eight runs, Edwards was the
quickest each time, including earning his fourth top qualifier of the year. But, he saved his best
for last as Edwards not only established a Bristol Dragway e.t. record, but captured his second
title of the season.
Edwards has been the best car at nearly every event this year, but the NHRA Wallys were not rolling
back with the team to Oklahoma, as little things upended the team on Sunday. It nearly happened in
the first round again when Edwards was a bit off on the starting line, but the vaunted team
horsepower prevailed over David Beakley. It was almost like Edwards got the wake-up call he needed
and found his driving groove that he has been known for throughout his career.
In round two, Edwards was the picture of perfection with a .000 light and 6.639 that ended Kurt
Johnson's day. He followed it up with a 6.643 to defeat a red-lighting Jason Line and earn a spot
in his 32nd final against Greg Anderson, who held a 29-5 win mark against Edwards and was perfect
1-0 in previous final rounds.
Edwards had another near perfect light in the final and included that to a 6.633 that gave him the
win over Greg Anderson's 6.658. Edwards, who also won in Atlanta, now has 17 Pro Stock wins to his
credit.
"We just ran so good," said Edwards. "Every run it just seemed like we got a little bit better and
I can't believe we ran this well every run. Eight runs, and we were the fastest car every run down
the track. I don't know if people really know how hard it is in this class to win one of these
races. I respect Greg Anderson and Jason Line, Warren and Kurt Johnson, and everybody. They're the
guys you want to try to beat because they've been up there so long. To beat those guys, I just
never dreamed I could be this competitive in this class, and to run like this is just an awesome
feeling.
"I have a wonderful team. These guys, they work so hard. We have just tested and tested and tested,
and it's paying off for us. My guys just work endless hours. Boy it feels good to do this. I've
always wanted to win this race. There is a lot of tradition around here with that big old circle
track. You get chills just being around here, so this feels good."
The victory moved Edwards that much closer to the top of the Pro Stock field, as he sits third,
trailing Jeg Coughlin by less than 100 points and Line.
Edwards has consistently credited his new in-house engine program for his recent success.
"Roger Stull, my long time friend and business partner, we made the decision that we were going to
make one last attempt to do this the right way, or at least in the way we believed was right,"
Edwards said. "We lowered the boom, stepped out into the water and the Lord met us halfway."
The next event on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule is the O'Reilly NHRA Summer
Nationals in Topeka, Kan., the weekend of May 29-31.
