Carl Edwards wins rain-shortened race to lock up spot in Championship 4

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Carl Edwards got the victory he desperately needed to earn a championship-contending spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, winning at Texas in a race shortened by 41 laps because of rain after the start had been delayed nearly six hours. With his fourth career win at Texas, Edwards joined Jimmie Johnson as drivers locked into championship-contending spots in Homestead. That leaves two spots up for grabs next Sunday at Phoenix. Edwards entered the second-to-last race before the Nov. 22 season finale eighth in points among the drivers still eligible for the championship. His three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are among the six other drivers still in contention, and clearly not all of them can advance. Light rain had already been falling, and plenty more was on the radar around the track, when the caution came out with 45 laps remaining of the originally scheduled 334-lap race. All the cars were brought to pit road four laps later, and it was only a few more minutes before NASCAR declared the race over and official. (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)