TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Standing outside the trackside medical center, the tension between Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards was palpable; their faces were sullen.

Edwards caused Talladega Superspeedway's infamous Big One with 14 laps to go collecting teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle as well as three other Chase drivers (watch video).

“

Carl didn't mean to do it, it wasn't his fault. He caused it, but he was just trying to help and he pushed me all the way down the back and did everything he could to help.

”

-- GREG BIFFLE

Dejected, Edwards was all apologies however Kenseth was silent. Greg Biffle was sympathetic, but no less upset.

"Carl didn't mean to do it, it wasn't his fault. He caused it, but he was just trying to help and he pushed me all the way down the back and did everything he could to help," Biffle said. "We knew we were probably going to wreck here, because we've been in so many wrecks before."

Recounting the wreck from his vantage point, Kenseth said Edwards turned Biffle and he pulled his No. 17 Ford as far left as he could but was unable to miss the wreck. Kenseth looked up and saw the nose of Biffle's car pointed at his door.

"You knew it was going to be crazy, but I actually felt like we were almost home free. Biffle got wiped out and he wiped me out somehow," said Kenseth, who finished 26th while Biffle finished 24th and Edwards came home 29th.

Uncertain if his No. 16 Ford was moving down or if Edwards' No. 99 was moving up, Biffle explained, "Maybe when he came down to push a little bit it just instantly slid. I had my foot in the gas and it just spun the tires and went around and that's all she wrote."

Heading into Sunday's Amp Energy 500, Edwards was admittedly nervous but confident he would execute the right strategy with the help of his crew chief Bob Osborne (read more).

Playing it safe for most of the race, he ran mid-to-back of the pack. Edwards was running his own race. Aside from a spin on pit road, he and Osborne were seemingly on their way to a clean run. (Continued)