Osborne, Edwards back together and back in Chase

Batman won't fight evil doers without Robin.

Starsky can't solve a case without Hutch.

Jon Bon Jovi just wouldn't sound the same without Richie Sambora.

And if history is any indicator, Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards doesn't make NASCAR's playoffs without crew chief Bob Osborne.

A class act

Carl Edwards may be talented, but during the race weekend at Dover, Beau Estes says it's Edwards' heart that took center stage both on and off the track.

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In 2005, duo makes Chase and finishes third. In 2006 duo separates, Edwards misses Chase and finishes 12th. In 2007, Edwards is currently third in the Chase.

In or out, Osborne, a modest and soft spoken 34-year-old from Pennsylvania doesn't take credit for the pair's success, which includes five wins, 17 top-fives and 27 top-10s since 2005.

The crew chief said unfortunately a lot of success is left to "racing luck."

So whether Edwards and Osborne will join a list of sports pairs like Stockton and Malone, Marvin and Peyton or Venus and Serena is yet to be seen.

The knockout performance at Dover International Speedway, despite looming penalties for failing post-race inspection, has the Edwards-Osborne pair in the groove.

Q: Can you tell us about the race strategy at Dover?

Osborne: We made a decision there, second-to-last stop to stay out, and a lot of guys chose to come in and that kind of put a big scare into us, having to stop under a green flag, and a lot of the guys got to run 15 to 20 laps longer, so that was pretty shaky for us, I felt. But we got the cautions to go our way, and at the end of the race I had no intentions of asking Carl to pit even though we had conversations about it, I was trying to mislead there. I think Carl did a great job and it was just a little tense at the end with all the red flags and cautions.

Q: Why so few cars on the lead lap at the end of the race?

Osborne: I believe the fact that we had a lot of long [well a couple] runs and right now there's a lot of disparity in performance from one car to the next. So, when there's a handful of cars that are really quick, it shows up a great deal.

Q: Coming off your third victory of the season and fourth top-10 finish in seven races, how do you feel heading to Kansas this weekend?

Osborne: I'm really looking forward to racing Kansas. I like intermediate tracks a whole lot and feel like our Office Depot team has what it takes to be really successful there this weekend. The Chase is shaping up to be very exciting, hopefully the No. 99 team can continue to build on the momentum from our Dover win and make strides towards the Championship.

Q. Seemingly the competition is stiffer this year over last year's Chase. Would you agree? If so, how do you step up your program?

Osborne: I agree and believe the Car of Tomorrow is a huge factor. The COT is new to everyone and everyone was using this year as a learning curve and it is keeping the competition from getting out of reach. The Hendrick program had such a strong start, but at the end here the last five races before the Chase it has been anyone's race. You look at the stats and wow it is close. Jimmie [Johnson] turned it around last week in Richmond, but Hendrick still hasn't been dominating like at the beginning of the year.

The competition has especially stepped up with Tony [Stewart] making the Chase this year and Jeff [Gordon] back in it. And all the programs in the Chase run strong week after week. But, we don't feel anymore pressure. We will perform our best and try not to make any mistakes. If we do make a mistake, we will deal with it and hopefully we will be running strong enough to afford a mistake if it should happen.

Q: During the 2005 Chase where you and Edwards finished fifth, what did you learn that you take into the 2007 Chase?

Osborne: The experience itself. You understand what you're facing and the pressures involved. We work hard to prepare the best car for our driver and go forward.

Q: What is your biggest concern in the Chase: Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing or the non-Chase drivers?

Osborne: The one I would look out for, the program to be the greatest competition is Gibbs. Hendrick is strong, but Gibbs is the strongest and we are using them as a bar and where we need to perform.

Q: Since the first race at Dover, Edwards has been on a steady uphill climb in the point standings. He has really come to life late in the season. Can you explain?

Osborne: This happened to us in 2005. We were OK-to-good throughout the season, but as we got closer to the Chase, a few races before, he kind of hit his stride. The format and ranks of the season suits him. Around this time, he gets into a rhythm longer into the season.

Q: Edwards does a lot of physical training to prepare for competition, how do you prepare?

Osborne: I get as much rest as possible, because paying attention to detail is key and the ability to do that comes with rest. Taking care of myself and making sure I'm healthy gives me the energy I need to focus and do well. I'll take it day by day, no set rituals really, and try not to dwell on the lows.

Q: What tracks will you be strong at and which ones will you struggle with?

Osborne: We have a history of being strong on the intermediate tracks; Richmond and Phoenix. The biggest thorn in our side will be Martinsville. We ran OK there, top 15, but historically we don't run well. As long as we get through Martinsville, I'll be pretty happy. Talladega ...well no one really knows what will happen there.

Q: What is it going to take to win the Chase?

Osborne: At this point, you're going to have to be consistent. You can't have major issues early or late. It's a 10-race shootout. You can build on wins, they will help and we won't turn any down. But if you finish in the top five every race, I find it hard to believe anyone can beat you.

Q: When you and Edwards reunited this season, the garage was all a buzz and expectations were high. In fact, it has been reported that team owner Jack Roush admits splitting you two was a mistake. What do you think about all of this and did Carl miss the Chase last year because you weren't there?

Osborne: No, Wally Brown did a great job. Wally and Carl got along great and I was only 100 feet from them on the other side of the building at the race shop. They just didn't have the racing luck that we had this year and in 2005. I was with Carl the first five races of 2006 and we wrecked in two; Atlanta and Texas. We had good cars, then Wally took over and we just couldn't miss the big wrecks. A lot of it depends on if someone else's bad luck falls into your lap.

Q: How advantageous is it having a teammate in the Chase?

Osborne: Well it's nice to have a teammate that's under the same pressure and in the same situation. Someone who understands the circumstances you're in is a great asset. We can talk about game plans and come up with strategies; two heads are always better than one.

Q: So Champions Week in New York City ... do you prefer the glitz and glamour or wish the week was held somewhere a bit more homespun?

Osborne: I like New York itself, the banquet is nice, but I'm not a big banquet type of guy. We stayed another day and me and my fiance spent a night or two there and got to see the town a little bit. Vegas would be pretty fun as well.