NASCAR history is filled with dramatic finishes that fans remember for decades. The sport has delivered countless moments where victory seemed certain until the final seconds changed everything.
One of those unforgettable endings happened in 2011 at Iowa, when teammates Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carl Edwards turned what should have been a routine finish into one of the wildest conclusions ever witnessed in racing.
Revisiting a Wild NASCAR Race Finish Involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carl Edwards
Teammates at Roush Fenway Racing, Stenhouse Jr. and Edwards had spent most of the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in August 2011 fighting for the win. As the final lap approached, Stenhouse Jr. had positioned himself comfortably ahead of Edwards and appeared moments away from victory.
With the NASCAR Cup Series stopping by Iowa following last year’s inaugural race at the track, the sport’s official X account posted a throwback video from the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in August 2011 at the same circuit.
Having built several car lengths between himself and Edwards after their battle for the lead, Stenhouse could practically taste victory. The checkered flag waited just ahead, and the result seemed guaranteed. While the now 37-year-old did win the race, what happened next defied all expectations.
Just feet from the finish line, disaster struck. Stenhouse’s engine exploded, sending a massive plume of smoke trailing behind his car. Without power, the race leader who had dominated the final laps suddenly found himself coasting toward what appeared to be a crushing defeat.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carl Edwards crash across the line for a wild Iowa finish. pic.twitter.com/dJNtQZ4dcH
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Behind him, Edwards charged forward at full speed, unaware of the chaos ahead. The thick smoke from his teammate’s blown engine created a wall of blindness that left Edwards driving into the unknown. Unable to see what lay in his path, the veteran driver slammed directly into Stenhouse’s slowing car.
What happened next became NASCAR folklore. In the most improbable turn of events, Edwards’ impact somehow pushed Stenhouse across the finish line for the victory while simultaneously destroying both cars. The collision sent Edwards spinning out of control, and he crossed the line in second place with his car also wrecked beyond recognition.
The incident created one of the most bizarre finishes in NASCAR history, with both the first and second-place cars crossing the line as twisted metal, their drivers having experienced triumph and disaster in the same instant.
The Two Drivers Have Since Gone Their Own Way
Carl Edwards, recently inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, compiled an impressive career that included 28 Cup Series victories and 220 top-ten finishes across 445 starts. After stepping away from full-time competition, he has returned to NASCAR as a presenter with the Prime Video broadcast crew.
Edwards’ final season in 2016 ended in heartbreak at Homestead-Miami. Leading the championship race with just 15 laps remaining, he was positioned to capture the title when a late restart changed everything. A collision with Joey Logano ended his championship hopes and handed Jimmie Johnson his seventh title.
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The devastating finish proved to be Edwards’ final moment as a competitor. Crushed by the result and ready for a new chapter, he announced his retirement from NASCAR in 2017, walking away from the sport at the peak of his abilities.
Meanwhile, Stenhouse Jr. used that wild Iowa victory as a springboard to greater success. He captured back-to-back Nationwide Series Championships in 2011 and 2012 before transitioning to full-time Cup Series competition. His career reached its pinnacle with a victory in the 2023 Daytona 500, and he continues racing today behind the wheel of the No. 47 Chevrolet ZL1 for Hyak Motorsports.
