Carl Edwards dropped out of the top 10 in points after two poor showings on the short tracks. Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Notes: Edwards' season takes hit on short tracks

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Carl Edwards started Sunday's race in the No. 36 position, but as the fourth-place driver in the season standings.

His early-season success took a sharp right turn.

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A blown tire caused a Turn 2 spin on lap No. 58, and Edwards spun around again 11 laps later, this time backing his car to the edge of the wall in Turn 2. Moments later, Hermie Sadler finished him off, his Ford rolling head-on into Edwards' and knocking the car into the wall.

"I couldn't turn it either way, so I just spun it," Edwards said. "I was sitting there and a couple of seconds later, the 66 drove right into me. I can't believe he drove right into me, but that's just bad luck."

Edwards took his car to the garage for extensive repairs and returned to finish 38th. He also dropped all the way to 11th in the points race.

Sadler felt bad about not avoiding the contact.

"He spun out, but by the time I heard, he was there and it was too late for me to stop, so I apologize to those guys for making their day worse."

Rusty's revenge

Rusty Wallace has gotten off to a fine start in 2005, with two top-fives and three top-10s. Credit: Chris Stanford/Getty Images

Rusty Wallace was ticked at Penske teammate Ryan Newman after last fall's race at Martinsville. Wallace felt Newman cost him a chance at victory by dueling him for second with seven laps to go.

The hard feelings haven't completely gone away.

Early in Sunday's race, Wallace was leading when the race went back to green on lap 78, and Newman was to his inside, the first car a lap down. In normal circumstances, a leader would allow his lapped teammate to get in front and back on the lead lap, but Wallace did the opposite, beating Newman into the first turn and leaving him a lap down.

Newman got the last laugh, finishing fourth to Wallace's fifth.

Martinsville going to the dogs?

Final lapsGordon comes back from three laps down for the victory Tough breakStewart loses a tire and his chance for a win Spin cycleGordon bumps Busch and sends him into the wall Tire troublesDale Jr. touches Bliss and gets a severe tire rub Heavy damageEdwards gets loose and collects H. Sadler on Lap 68 Early cautionNewman suffers damage after contact with Riggs Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Eddie Wood of Wood Brothers Racing had only been at Martinsville Speedway for half an hour Friday when Tony Glover rushed into his hauler frantic and talking of something "awful" that had happened.

"I didn't know if someone had died or what," Wood said.

"I said what's wrong. He said, 'Let me show you.' So we go to the hot dog stand and he said, 'Look!"' Wood recalled, noting that he saw the famous Martinsville hot dogs were being served without the traditional chili and onions topping, although it was available for patrons to apply themselves.

"I said, 'What are we going to go about this?" Wood said.

The woman at the stand told the dismayed pair they would have to take their complaints to a higher authority than her, and they left.

"I'm not sure where Glover went from there, but I think he went to (NASCAR president Mike) Helton's office, and by 10 o'clock, it was fixed," Wood said. "I've been eating those things since I was 10 years old.

"You could buy one at 8 o'clock in the morning and at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, it's still good. There's nothing like 'em anywhere you go."

Pit stops

After a prerace flyover by four Blackhawk helicopters, Sgt. 1st Class Sean Macguire gave the call for drivers to start their engines from Iraq. ... Jeff Gordon's victory Sunday was the 133rd for car owner Rick Hendrick, and the 12th at Martinsville. ... Gordon jumped from 12th to sixth in the points race. .. Labonte became the 50th different winner in the Craftsman Truck Series with his triumph Saturday.