As Carl Edwards wins NASCAR Nationwide race at Phoenix, Danica Patrick suffers hard knocks

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Carl Edwards drove to a dominant victory Saturday in the NASCAR Nationwide Race at Phoenix International Raceway while Danica Patrick took another class in stock-car racing’s school of hard knocks.

Edwards, one of several drivers in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series who also compete in the second-tier Nationwide Series, won by five seconds over second-place Kevin Harvick and led 153 laps of the 200-lap race at the one-mile Phoenix oval.

It was Edwards’ second consecutive Nationwide victory and his fourth of the season.

Pole-sitter Joey Logano finished third and Brad Keselowski, who has clinched the Nationwide championship, was fourth.

Patrick, the IndyCar driver competing part time in NASCAR this year, started 28th and finished 32nd, seven laps behind Edwards.

On at least two occasions Patrick’s No. 7 Chevrolet suffered body damage after she made contact with other cars. In one case, a collision caused her to spin and hit the wall, forcing her to spend several laps in the pits while her crew made repairs.

-- Jim Peltz in Avondale, Ariz.