NASCAR Cup Series

Chase contender Carl Edwards slams wall at Martinsville

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:18 p.m. ET

Tom Jensen

Carl Edwards ran into big trouble at Martinsville Speedway during Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500, the first of three races in Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Round of 8.

Edwards was running in the top 10 in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota when he blew a right-front tire and clobbered the wall hard around the Lap 357 mark.

That sent Edwards and the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into the pits and then behind the wall for lengthy repairs.

It was not the start Edwards wanted for the first Chase race, since he’ll probably have to win next week at Texas or the week after at Phoenix to advance to the championship round of the Chase in three weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway.