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Ambrose's mistake gives Edwards the win at Montreal

The Sports Network

Marcos Ambrose was once again denied the victory at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after he made a costly mistake on the final turn and allowed Carl Edwards to steal the victory in Sunday's NAPA Auto Parts 200.

Ambrose put on a dominating performance by leading 60 of 76 laps, but the Aussie slid in turn 14, while Edwards made the pass and then claimed his third Nationwide victory of the season and his first on a road course.

"I just made one mistake, and it cost me the race," a frustrated Ambrose said.

Ambrose has led the most laps in the first three races at Montreal, but victory has eluded him here. He lost last year's event after being slapped with a late-race penalty for speeding on pit road. Ron Fellows went on to win the rain-shortened race. In 2007, Robby Gordon spun Ambrose out of the lead on the final lap, with Kevin Harvick taking the victory.

Edwards and Ambrose's one-two finish came one day after the two paired up for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car event at Montreal. Edwards first drove the Daytona Prototype (DP) car, but spun and slammed the barrier hard on the pace laps, forcing the duo out of the event. Edwards suffered a swollen face during the accident.

Ambrose led the field when a shower moved over the area with 16 laps remaining. NASCAR instructed teams to pit, giving them five minutes to change to rain tires and install a windshield wiper if needed. NASCAR's decision to continue the race on a wet track surface led to numerous spins on the 2.71- mile street circuit and forced several late-race cautions, including one for a two-lap overtime finish. Ambrose pulled away on the final restart, but Edwards chased him down before Ambrose made his crucial error.

"I feel good, we just went international right there," Edwards said after taking the Nationwide race at Montreal. "Marcos Ambrose has helped me a lot. He helped me a lot testing that DP car and helped me a lot here this weekend. It makes it a special deal to pass him."

It was the second year in a row rain tires were used at Montreal.

The race saw the yellow flag displayed 11 times, which set a Nationwide road course race record for most cautions. The event also moved at a slow pace of 53.869 m.p.h. and took three hours and 49 minutes to complete.

Canadian drivers Andrew Ranger, Jacques Villeneuve and Jean Francois Dumoulin all finished in the top-10, with Ranger finishing an impressive third, Villeneuve coming in fourth and Dumoulin placing seventh.

"I think it's fantastic to race here in Montreal and have a nice ride like that," Ranger said after he climbed out of his No.11 Toyota and saluted the fans. "The car was fast all weekend long, and we finished third. It's fantastic for me."

Brad Keselowski finished fifth, and Tony Raines was sixth. Stephen Leicht and Brendan Gaughan placed eighth and ninth, while Kyle Busch spun on the final restart and wound up 10th.

With the victory, Edwards trimmed Busch's lead to 192 points.

Shortly after an early-race restart, Busch, Fellows and Justin Allgaier were involved in a multi-car incident. Allgaier lost control and then banged into Fellows before slamming into the back of Busch.

Fellows, who won last year's race on his Canadian home turf, finished 35th.

"We weren't even halfway and this [car] is wrecked," a disappointed Fellows said. "A couple of road races for me are my Daytona 500, but we will be back."

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