So Carl Edwards and Jack Roush have a little unfinished Vegas business to take care of....

  

  
Carl Edwards: NASCAR's newest most popular driver? (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

  

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   LAS VEGAS
   As hot as Carl Edwards ran last season, a league-leading nine wins, including three wins in the final four events, it's a bit surprising perhaps that he hasn't done more already this season.
   Yes, the new year is only two races old, but Edwards concedes "it feels like an eternity" since his last NASCAR tour win, at Homestead in the finale.
   "We were running really well at Daytona, and I thought we'd finish in the top four or five….just got caught up in that wreck," Edwards says. "Actually I was real happy we got back up to  18th, because that thing broke loose I figured we'd finish about 40th.
   "Then at California, our practices were terrible, and for us to finish seventh, and in front of Jimmie (Johnson), that made me feel a little better….considering how well Jimmie ran there the last race.
   "So while I wasn't really happy with our performance at California, knowing that (teammates) Greg (Biffle) had the fastest car and (teammate) Matt was second-fastest, I know that our whole (Jack Roush) team is in good shape."
   Edwards, of course, has last year's penalty here still on his shoulders, perhaps unfinished business to settle this weekend. He won easily, but NASCAR found his oil tank cover loose, which rivals called an aerodynamic edge, and docked him a sizeable 100 points.
   "But last year, even with that 100-point penalty, we still scored more points than anyone last year," he said. Edwards lost the title to Jimmie Johnson by just 69 points.
    Is it too early to starting looking toward the playoffs, and writing teams in or out? Actually according to history, after the year's first four races most of the year's eventual top-12 are set.
   "Daytona is Daytona. California is a good indicator of how the season will go," Edwards says. "But this race and next week's at Atlanta are better indicators.
  "By the time we leave Martinsville (March 29th) we'll probably know who's got what, and most of the top-12 will probably stay right there the rest of the way."

  

  
With Matt Kenseth winning on Sundays, this is what Jack Roush is selling on Mondays. Hey, this thing looks like it would make a real race car: Is NASCAR paying attention yet? (Photo: Jack Roush)