FORT WORTH, Texas -- Carl Edwards got the victory he desperately needed to earn a championship-contending spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup finale, winning at Texas on Sunday night in a race shortened by 41 laps because of rain after the start was delayed nearly six hours.With his fourth career win at Texas, Edwards joined Jimmie Johnson as drivers locked into the championship-contending spots in Homestead.That leaves two spots up for grabs next Sunday at Phoenix.Edwards entered the second-to-last race before the Nov. 20 season finale eighth in points among the drivers still eligible for the championship.This is huge. I dont think its sunk in yet. Thats all we said was needed, just a shot, Edwards said. Now were going to go to Homestead, were going to do what we need to do. This was a great test. We came here and did what we needed to do, we performed, and I really believe we can do that at Homestead.The rain-shortened victory was certainly appropriate for Edwards after how his championship Chase ended last year.Last years race at Phoenix was delayed nearly seven hours as a series of storms passed through the area, and then once it started under the lights was called after 218 laps. Edwards finished fifth, leaving him five points out of the final spot for the Chase finale.Edwards three Joe Gibbs Racing teammates are among the six other drivers still in contention this season, and clearly not all of them can advance.Light rain had already been falling, and plenty more was on the radar around the track, when the caution came out with 45 laps remaining of the originally scheduled 334-lap race.All the cars were brought to pit road four laps later, and it was only a few more minutes before NASCAR declared the race over and official after 293 laps. It could have taken two hours or more to dry to track.We were in a bad spot if we went green again, Edwards said. But the last run before it rained, I think we could have held off, Im not sure.Edwards had taken the lead on lap 258 late Sunday after beating Martin Truex Jr. off pit road, and led the rest of the way.It was Edwards first win at Texas in eight years. He swept the two Cup races there in 2008, the season he had nine wins overall and a career-best finish of second in points.Joey Logano, another Chase contender, finished second while leading a race-high 178 laps. Truex finished third and Chase Elliott fourth.Logano is third in season points, with Kyle Busch fourth. Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch are in the fifth through eighth spots. If one of those six drivers dont win Phoenix, the final two championship spots would be determined by points.Harvick got his track-record eighth win at Phoenix in March, and has won five of the last six races there.Weve done it I dont know how many times, Harvick said. Well just go there and do what we always do and race as hard as we can.Some other things from Texas:TRAILING AFTER GREEN: Polesitter Austin Dillon led only the races first six laps, but didnt lead a green-flag lap. He was passed by Logano for the lead on lap 7, the first lap after the green flag.BIG BOBBLEHEAD: The first 30,000 fans were given Tony Stewart bobbleheads commemorating the retiring Sprint Cup drivers final race at Texas. During driver introductions, track president Eddie Gossage presented Stewart with his own bobblehead -- a life-sized replica with an oversized head.HELD OUT: Matt DiBenedetto wasnt allowed to drive because of NASCARs concussion protocol. He was involved in a hard crash in the Xfinity Series race Saturday, and wasnt cleared by doctors to drive in the Cup race even though he said he felt perfect on Sunday.LOUD POP: A tire specialist for Richard Childress Racing was treated and released from the infield care center after a tire just taken off Paul Menards car popped while being checked behind the wall. Bobby Murcer Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Jackie Robinson Jersey . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. http://www.customyankeesjersey.com/custom-roger-clemens-jersey-large-1034i.html . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Roger Maris Jersey Large . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. DJ LeMahieu Jersey . Los Angeles star goalie survived those perilous gymnastics with no problem, and he eventually backstopped the Kings to a skid-snapping win. Quick stopped 27 shots in his return from a 24-game injury absence, Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking goal with 7:55 to play, and the Kings snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night. Jimmy Bartel provided the perfect ending to a big night for Geelong when he wheeled onto his left foot and slotted the last goal of a hard-fought win over the Western Bulldogs in his 300th AFL game.Bartel was mobbed by every single one of his teammates after his goal with five seconds left put the cherry on top of a momentous evening at Simonds Stadium that also saw Corey Enright overtake Ian Nankervis to become the clubs all-time games record holder.The only problem was that I kicked it in front of our construction site so there was no one there, Bartel said with a wry smile after the match.But I burnt the leading full-forward and luckily it went through. All of my teammates got around me, which was a pretty special experience.I didnt move too far from the forward 50 for the last minute or two ... I might get in a bit of trouble for that on Monday. But it seems the triple-premiership star has nothing to fear from coach Chris Scott during Mondays review.Theres still some romance in footy ... we were pretty keen to get him on there towards the end because it looked like he might have been stuck on the bench, Scott said.ddddddddddddIt was probably classic Jimmy ... in the (slippery) conditions, from where he was on the ground and on the left he didnt really expect it to go through.But youve got to start expecting that with Jimmy ... 300 games in and he keeps surprising. Bartel and Enright were both influential in their milestone matches.There was obvious jubilation for the pair of unassuming champions, which Enright admitted was mixed with a just hint of relief after a big build-up during the week.(Its) a little bit (of a relief) but youve got to enjoy these weeks because they dont come around very often, Enright said after his 326th AFL game.To have it with Jimmy ... it was a nice touch to share it with him.Its really hard to get too caught up (in the milestone) because theres still a job to be done.But in a couple of months time Ill sit back and reflect a bit. ' ' '