HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Carl Edwards won the season-ending Ford 300 today, but came up 21 points short in his attempt to overtake Clint Bowyer for the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship.

All Bowyer had to do to keep Edwards from winning a second straight title was finish in the top eight, and he did that easily. He grabbed fifth to stay on top of the standings, right where he has been most of the year despite winning only one of 35 races.

Edwards wrested the lead from Kyle Busch late in the race and stayed out front to the end of the 200-lap event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, earning his seventh Nationwide victory and keeping Busch from recording a record 11th Nationwide victory.