DARLINGTON, S.C. — Carl Edwards wanted momentum heading into NASCAR's championship chase. He found it at Darlington Raceway.
Edwards rallied after falling two laps down because of a flat tire, then beat Brad Keselowski off pit road for the lead 12 laps from the end and held on for his first Southern 500 victory Sunday night.
Edwards won the Coca Cola 600 in May and had six top-10s in the past seven races. Still, he was looking for a boost that would propel his first-year Joe Gibbs Racing program into the playoffs.
"This is what we needed," Edwards said.