Practice crash sends Edwards to backup car

Edwards' No. 19 Toyota hit the wall exiting Turn 4 with about five minutes remaining in the practice session as he was making a mock qualifying run. He had recorded the 11th fastest practice speed despite running only nine laps.

"We went from a 12-inch to a 6-inch sub pretty quick," Edwards said after the practice accident. "I tried to save it -- I got a little bit loose off -- and I tried to save it and that was a mistake. I had a ton of throttle and the lap was going really well coming off Turn 4. It got a little bit loose and I was like, 'Man, I'm not going to hit the fence,' and I thought, 'I should lock it down.' Right there I was thinking 'Lock it down,' and I thought, 'Nah, I'll save it,' and that was not the right decision.

"Anyway, the guys -- I don't know if we can use this engine and keep our qualifying spot or what. The guys have a lot of work in front of them. I hate to do that. I think we were having a pretty good lap there."

The team was able to put the primary motor into the backup car.

Edwards won here in 2008 and has 14 top-10 finishes in 17 starts. He comes into the Fontana race 21st in the 2015 driver standings and finished the practice 11th on the leaderboard.

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