AVONDALE, Ariz. --- Carl Edwards rolled to a dominating win at Phoenix International Speedway that temporarily staved off Kyle Busch 's bid to clinch the Nationwide Series title.
Busch's first NASCAR championship is still a near-certainty -- he only needs to start next week's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to grab the title.
But early problems Saturday spoiled Busch's bid to get it out of the way. He spun his Toyota eight laps into the race, suffered heavy damage when he hit the wall, and had to battle to a ninth-place finish.
It wasn't enough, though, as Edwards picked up bonuses for leading the most laps and winning the race to put a halt to the celebration.
"I know Kyle's almost clinched the championship, but that's what we came here to do, win the race," Edwards said.
The race was marked by yet another run-in between rivals Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski during a late sequence of hard racing. Both were inside the top five when Hamlin tapped into Keselowski, who retaliated by hitting Hamlin twice. The second contact caused Hamlin to spin.
The running feud had many believing their would be post-race fireworks.
Nothing happened, but in a post-race interview, Hamlin warned he'll be looking for Keselowski in next weekend's finale.
TRUCK SERIES: Ron Hornaday Jr. clinched his record fourth Camping World Trucks Series championship with a fourth-place finish Friday night at Phoenix.
Hornaday, 51, broke a tie with Jack Sprague with three titles.
"I got one up on Sprague and that's all that counts," Hornaday said. "Sprague needs to come back and try and get a fourth one and just keep me racing. Jack and I have been fighting for wins and championships back and forth and Jack had to quit and give me a little head start so we went back and forth and he had 23 then I had 24 then he had 25 so its just been a fun battle with Jack and I wish he was still out there because he is a heck of a little racer. I don't know.
"Maybe I will have to build another trophy case. I only have five so maybe I will have to move one over and put two together so."
Kevin Harvick, who owns Harvick's Chevrolet truck, won the race.
Jimmie Johnson, who is chasing history of his own in the Sprint Cup Series, said Hornaday defines the truck series.
"He'll go down in history as probably the best, the greatest ever," Johnson said. "I think his legacy is going to be better defined as time goes on, but he's going to be known for more than just what he has done in the truck series. I see guys today that talk about Late Models that he built for them."
SOUNDING OFF: Hamlin is continuing to take a more vocal role in the garage and called on NASCAR to give all drivers equal opportunity to help shape policy and procedure.
Hamlin is openly annoyed that four-time series champion Jeff Gordon lobbied NASCAR to police bumping in the corners at Talladega, which led to a pre-race announcement of a toughened policy on the practice. Although NASCAR has indicated several drivers approached officials about the bumping, only Gordon has admitted to being one of them.
Hamlin believes Gordon of doing so for selfish reasons designed to benefit how his car was driving at Talladega.
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