Surprising Edwards hangs in

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Carl Edwards has never had more fun.

Being part of NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup in his first full year on the elite stock car circuit is unexpected, but it is also everything Edwards could have hoped for.

Heading into the seventh race of the Chase -- today's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- Edwards is fifth in the standings, trailing leader Tony Stewart by 149 points.

"To be honest with you, I am surprised," Edwards said. "This is my first full season of Cup competition, and I got signed up for this at just the right time. The [Roush] teams are as strong as they can be, we've got the smartest people around us, the bodies are great, the engines are great.

"I think I'm the one that benefits and it's making me look really good. The success we've had is not all my doing, that's for sure. But I am enjoying it."

In March, Edwards outdueled Jimmie Johnson in Atlanta for his first of two Cup victories. Edwards finished third in his only other Cup race on the 1.5-mile track.

"I think we're just on the outside of having a good chance to win the championship," Edwards said. "It would be a long shot, but, I'll tell you what, stranger things have happened."