MONTREAL — Carl Edwards was as shocked as anyone.

"I can't believe I won the race," Edwards said Sunday after making a stunning pass of Marcos Ambrose on the final turn of the Nationwide race at Montreal. "I just figured he'd take off and run away with it. I guess that goes to show you never give up."

It was another lost opportunity at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for Ambrose, who has had a chance to win all three Nationwide races conducted on the street circuit since NASCAR began racing here in 2007.

The despair was real on a day that started in sunshine and turned to gloom.

"I just made a mistake at the end there and lost the race," Ambrose said. "I feel pretty devastated."

Edwards couldn't believe what happened because Ambrose led 60 laps over the 14-turn, 2.7-mile course — including 31 in a row before the rain moved in.

Still, the hard-charging Tasmanian figured to be a lock since he grew up racing in the rain. But after overcoming restart after restart in the crash-filled event, Ambrose slipped up at the wrong time.

Edwards won a two-lap sprint to the finish on a track that was both wet and dry in spots from a light rain, making up more than a second on the final lap. Edwards began to close fast on Ambrose entering turn 10, a right-handed hairpin, and that gave Edwards renewed hope.

"I drove a little bit deeper than him and I caught him, and that surprised me," Edwards said. "I didn't think I'd catch him in that corner, but I had the benefit of watching his car. He was kind of out there flying. Once I got to him, we came off turn 10, he was spinning the tires, and I thought I might have him."

Seconds later, Ambrose slid sideways after hitting the rumble strips in turn 14. Edwards slipped past and outraced him down the final straightaway.

"That was an amazing gift," Edwards said. "Marcos just made that one mistake that gave me a chance to get by. The difference was the tires and the way the track was changing. As soon as it gets dry, there's so much more grip."