Rain washes out practice, but not hopes of Edwards (cont'd)

"It's a pain. Obviously we practiced [Friday], but I think if anybody looked at the weather they realized that the rain was coming," Knaus said. "So just about everybody in the garage dealt with it. We were in race trim [Friday] for about an hour before we switched over the qualifying trim.

"It's not fun. It's more of a hindrance than anything because you're just left standing around with only so much you can do. But I think everybody will be well prepared."

The weather Sunday is supposed to be agreeable to run the race as scheduled. The forecast called for sun and a temperature of 63 degrees by 2 p.m. when the race is supposed to begin.

Edwards is left to simply do the best that he can under difficult circumstances that didn't get any easier as a result of Saturday's rain-soaked events.

"Tensions are high," Edwards admitted. "This doesn't help us at all, but it was a real surprise to me. I venture to say I won't be the last person this weekend to wheel-hop and have trouble. I was just the first one. It's too bad, but tensions are high in the garage.

"This isn't the best thing for us, but I guarantee [from now on] we'll have better backup cars ready. We'll be more prepared because this is definitely an eye-opener."

One consolation for Edwards was the knowledge that struggling in the first race of the Chase, if he does so, won't meant the end of his chances to contend for the championship.

"I know the statistics. Jimmie Johnson finished 39th in this race last year [before going on to capture the Cup]," Edwards said. "It's really important, I think mentally, to get off to a good start here.

"No matter what happens this weekend, at Homestead [in the season finale] I don't think this one will be forgotten. I feel like our backup car is good enough to go out and hopefully win the race, that it's as good as our first car was."

That's what he had hoped to find out Saturday, but couldn't.