Carl Michael Edwards Jr.[1] (born August 15, 1979) is an American former professionalstock car racing driver and a current analyst forNASCAR on Prime Video.
He last competed in theNASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 19Toyota Camry forJoe Gibbs Racing. Prior to that, he drove the No. 99Ford Fusion forRoush Fenway Racing from 2005–2014. He won the2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship and nearly won the2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title, but lost by a tiebreaker toTony Stewart. Edwards is known for doing abackflip off his car to celebrate his victories. In 2023, he was named one ofNASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers, and in 2025, he was inducted into theNASCAR Hall of Fame.
Edwards was born on August 15, 1979, inColumbia, Missouri. He graduated fromRock Bridge High School in 1997. Edwards initially did not plan to attend college, but he received some state assistance and decided to attend theUniversity of Missouri in his hometown of Columbia. After three semesters studying engineering, Edwards decided that university attendance was not working as he pursued his career goals in racing. Prior to becoming a full-time driver, Edwards was working as a substitute teacher while pursuing his racing career.[2][3][4]
Edwards' big break came in 2002, when he competed in seven NASCARCraftsman Truck Series events forMB Motorsports. His best finish in the seven races was eighth atKansas Speedway. He also ran oneBusch Series race forBost Motorsports, finishing 38th atGateway International Raceway. However, it was enough to impressJack Roush, and Edwards became a full-time Truck Series competitor forRoush Racing in 2003, driving the No. 99 Ford F-150, and won his first race atKentucky Speedway.[5] He won Rookie-of-the-Year honors in addition to three race wins, eventually finishing eighth in the points standings at the end of the season. In 2004, he notched three more race wins, including the season-openingFlorida Dodge Dealers 250 at theDaytona International Speedway. At season's end, Edwards finished fourth in the points. In August 2004, he made his Nextel Cup Series debut, replacingJeff Burton, who left the team, in the No. 99 Ford Taurus for Roush Racing, at theMichigan International Speedway. He finished tenth. He drove the No. 99 Ford for the remainder of the 2004 Nextel Cup. He also once again ran oneBusch Series race; this time for Robby Benton's RAB Racing team atBristol Motor Speedway.
In 2005, Edwards signed on and became a full-time driver in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series, although he had already run races in each in prior seasons. Shortly into the season, on March 19, 2005, Edwards made history in the process of winning. First, Edwards won theAaron's 312 at theAtlanta Motor Speedway inHampton, Georgia, recording his first Busch Series win. The next day, he beatJimmie Johnson by two hundredths of a second to win theGolden Corral 500 at the same track for his first Nextel Cup Series win. Until this took place, no driver had ever won both the Busch and Nextel Cup Series races in the same weekend at Atlanta, although the feat had been pulled off numerous times before at other tracks by other drivers. Also, Edwards became the first driver in NASCAR history to pick up his first career Busch and Nextel Cup Series wins in the same weekend and became the eleventh driver in NASCAR history to win races in all three of the organization's major racing series.[citation needed]
On June 12, 2005, Edwards picked up his second Nextel Cup win by taking the checkered flag at thePocono 500 at thePocono Raceway inLong Pond, Pennsylvania. The weekend was somewhat bittersweet for Edwards, as the Busch Series race at theNashville Superspeedway inLebanon, Tennessee had been rained out the night before, and rescheduled for the same day. Also, qualifying for that race had been rained out, and in NASCAR, when qualifying is rained out, the starting grid is set by owner points. Because of this, Edwards convinced car ownerJack Roush to letHank Parker Jr. drive the car. Hank ended up driving the car to a 20th-place finish. Since Edwards did not start the race he was not awarded any points, and as such lost a 74-point lead in Busch Series points and dropped to fourth in the standings; Edwards never recovered from the missed race and finished the season third in points, well behind series championMartin Truex Jr. Edwards got his third win of 2005 on October 30 in theBass Pro Shops MBNA 500 atAtlanta Motor Speedway, sweeping both of the Nextel Cup races at Atlanta for the 2005 season.
Edwards got his fourth win at Texas and became the tenth different driver to win at that track and the fifth to win there for Roush Racing. By finishing the remainder of the 2004 season in the No. 99 car, he was not eligible to compete for the Cup Series Rookie of the Year, but did win the 2005 Busch Series Rookie of the Year; he finished third in the Cup standings (with teammateGreg Biffle actually winning the tiebreaker for second by virtue of his series-best six wins).
In 2006, Edwards andRoush Fenway Racing struggled to keep up with the competition. Edwards did not win a race in 2006, but did manage to score twenty top-tens. His best finishes came atMichigan,Loudon, andDover in the fall, where he finished second. At the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 in Richmond, he missed the chase by getting wrecked and finished 35th three laps down.
On May 18, 2007, Edwards won the pole for the 2007Nextel Open, and while he led almost the entire forty-lap race, he faded to third in the last few laps, just missing the feature event. On June 17, 2007, Carl Edwards broke his 52-race winless streak in the Nextel Cup by winning theCitizens Bank 400. Shortly thereafter, on July 23, he dislocated his thumb in an eleven-car pileup at a late model race atNebraska Raceway Park (formerly I-80 Speedway) nearLincoln, Nebraska. Edwards won his second race of the 2007 season, and sixth career Cup race, at theSharpie 500 atBristol Motor Speedway on August 25. During the post-race interview on Victory Lane, Edwards commented on the race, saying, "This is the biggest win of my career". At the conclusion of the first 26 races, the 2007 "regular season", Edwards ranked sixth in overall standings, with 3372 points, 477 points behind overall points leaderJeff Gordon. Edwards entered the2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup in fourth place, with 5020 points, based on his two wins in the 2007 season, clinching a spot in the Chase after his win at theSharpie 500 atBristol. Edwards struggled through the Chase despite winning at Dover during the Chase. The Hendrick duo ofJimmie Johnson andJeff Gordon dominated the Chase for the Championship, winning six of the ten races and finishing No. 1 and No. 2 in the final 2007 standings. Edwards finished ninth in the final 2007 standings.
On November 3, 2007, Edwards clinched his firstNASCAR Busch Series Championship by finishing eleventh at theO'Reilly Challenge. This came despite struggling in the second half of the Busch Series season. Edwards became the nineteenth different Busch Series Champion in the 26 years of the modern-era series. Edwards would end up becoming the final Busch Series Champion asNationwide would take over sponsoring duties of the second-tier series in 2008.
The 2008 season was Edwards' strongest year, finishing second toJimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Edwards won the2008 Auto Club 500, his first Sprint Cup win of the year. The following week, Edwards won theUAW-Dodge 400 atLas Vegas Motor Speedway, his first back-to-back victories since 2005 when he won in Atlanta and Texas. These victories put Edwards at the top of the point standings for the first time in his career.[citation needed]
Following the Las Vegas win, on March 5, 2008, NASCAR penalized Edwards, ownerJack Roush, andcrew chief Bob Osborne for violations found in post-race inspection. The No. 99 car driven by Edwards was found to be in violation of sections 12-4-A, 12-4-Q, and 20–2.1J of the 2008 NASCAR rulebook, specifically, the cover was off the oil tank. The violations were found during post-race inspection at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2. The following penalties were levied by NASCAR: Edwards was fined one hundred driver points and stripped of his ten bonus points for the Las Vegas win, which would be used to seed him in the Chase for the Championship (should he make the Chase). Roush was fined one hundred owner points, and Osborne was suspended for six races and fined $100,000. Edwards was leading theKobalt Tools 500, looking for his third consecutive victory, but on lap 274 his car began to smoke and his crew diagnosed the problem as a brokentransmission. Edwards went on to finish 42nd. On April 7, he won theSamsung 500 atTexas Motor Speedway for his third win of the season.
On May 2, Edwards announced that he had signed a multi-year contract to remain with Roush Fenway Racing.[6] On August 3, Edwards got his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup victory of the season, surviving a rain delay and fuel shortage to win at Pocono. On August 17, Edwards dominated the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway, capturing his fifth win of the season and surpassing his career high season win total of four in 2005. On August 24, Edwards earned another victory by winning the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The win was his second consecutive and sixth of the season. He did a bump and run onKyle Busch in the closing laps to take the win from the dominant driver of the night. Busch showed his displeasure with Edwards after the race by driving into the side of Edwards' car, after which Edwards retaliated by spinning Kyle out. On October 26, Edwards earned his seventh victory of the season with a win in the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta. On November 2, Edwards tied Kyle Busch for the series wins lead by winning his second Dickies 500 at Texas, his eighth win of the season. He reduced his deficit in points to 106 behindJimmie Johnson. On November 9 at Phoenix, Edwards finished fourth behind race winner Johnson, who, by virtue of the win and the ten bonus points he earned for leading one lap and the most laps, took a 141-point lead over Edwards. Edwards won the season finale atHomestead to take over the series wins lead for the season, extending his career high win total to nine. However, he did not finish far enough ahead of Johnson to take the Sprint Cup championship, as Johnson finished fifteenth and led at least one lap to win the championship by 69 points over Edwards. However, if the Chase had not been implemented in 2008, Edwards would’ve won the Sprint Cup Series Championship over Johnson by sixteen points on a fuel strategy call by him and his crew chiefBob Osborne.
Heading into the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season, many media analysts expected Edwards to challenge Johnson for the championship.
In the No. 99 car, on the final lap of the2009 Aaron's 499 at Talladega in April, Edwards survived one of the most violent crashes in NASCAR history. Heading into the tri-oval with the lead, Edwards turned down intoBrad Keselowski's path. Keselowski touched, and Edwards spun backwards, then went airborne. He was propelled higher when he was hit byRyan Newman, whose hood was destroyed, and flipped airborne into thecatch fence. Eight fans were injured, including a woman with a broken jaw; she was airlifted to a nearby hospital.[7] Fortunately, Edwards emerged from the car unharmed and sprinted on foot over the start-finish line to the cheers of the crowd and with Fox Commentator Mike Joy commenting "shades of Ricky Bobby." Although he did cross the finish line (on foot), he was still handed a DNF. When Edwards was interviewed onLarry King Live, he responded, "I'm kind of aWill Ferrell fan. He did that at the end ofTalladega Nights."[8]
He had a far more successful Nationwide Series season than a Sprint Cup Series season, including a win at the NAPA 200 at Montreal. In the race, Edwards had a top-ten position until a final green-white-checker finish put him in third spot on the restart. Edwards passedAndrew Ranger for second and recovered from spinning his tires on the restart to catch up with dominant leaderMarcos Ambrose. Edwards was unable to pass the Australian champion until the final turn of the final lap, when Ambrose jumped over the curb too high. Edwards passed him and won the race in a big shock to the racing world; a finish considered to be one of the greatest in the sport. Edwards was elated about getting his first road course win at one of the most famous tracks in the world; he has said that the Montreal race is his favorite winning performance, and that Ambrose had chatted with him that week and taught him about the track during meetings, which he credited for his success.
He experienced another winless season in 2009 as his best finish was second atPocono Raceway. AlthoughKyle Busch won the Nationwide Series championship, Edwards finished second in the series and scored five wins, finishing 210 points behind the winner.
During a Cup Series race in Atlanta on lap 40, Edwards was tapped byBrad Keselowski, and it sent Edwards intoJoey Logano, and both went up into the wall with damage. 283 laps later, with Edwards now 150 laps down on lap 323, Edwards got his retaliation against Keselowski. Edwards spun Keselowski in the tri-oval. Keselowski's car got airborne, flipped over, hit the wall on the roof, and came back on all fours, coming to a stop in turn 1. Fox commentators Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip compared Keselowski's crash to the previous year's Aaron's 499 finish, where Keselowski wrecked Edwards in almost the same way. Edwards was parked for the rest of the race and was placed on a three-race probation. Edwards said in his interview that his retaliation didn't go as he had planned, that he never expected Keselowski's car to catch air like that, but was glad that Keselowski was okay.
Edwards won the first-ever Nationwide Series race atRoad America in late June. He followed that up with a controversial win at the first Nationwide race of the season at Gateway, turning Brad Keselowski coming off the final turn to win the race. He won his third Nationwide race of the year at Texas Motor Speedway after dominating the race and a late race restart, where he was accused of jumping the start by Kyle Busch. He finished the season second in points for the third year in a row.
Edwards' season was a slow start in 2010. Going into Daytona in July, he was in danger of missing the Chase while barely running in the top twelve in points. The whole Roush Fenway team marks Chicagoland as the turning point for the organization, where Edwards finished second toDavid Reutimann. Edwards' performance increased from this point, with him winning the pole at Watkins Glen and Richmond, and leading laps at Atlanta and Richmond.
On November 12, 2010, Edwards broke the track record for the fastest qualifying lap atPhoenix International Raceway, scoring his sixth career pole. Carl went on to win theKobalt Tools 500 on November 14, 2010, with his Aflac Ford Fusion and breaking a seventy-race winless streak going on from the 2008 Ford 400 at Homestead. The next weekend, Edwards qualified second at Homestead and went on to dominate and win the race, with season champion Jimmie Johnson finishing second. The late-season rally took Edwards to a fourth-place points finish.[citation needed]
On March 6, 2011, Edwards won the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas, his only points win of 2011. On May 21, 2011, he won theNASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. On August 4, 2011, Edwards re-signed withRoush Fenway Racing to continue driving his No. 99 Ford Fusion. The deal was reportedly worth over $40 million, withFord talking Edwards into sticking with Roush Fenway Racing for the rest of his career. It was rumored for many months that Edwards was to move toJoe Gibbs Racing to take over the No. 20Toyota Camry then driven byJoey Logano.Joe Gibbs was rumored to have offered Edwards an $8 million deal a year with a $10 million signing bonus.
For the rest of the season, Edwards raced with consistency and made the 2011 Chase field. After theGood Sam Club 500, he was in a tight points battle withTony Stewart, but Stewart won the championship by holding off Edwards to win the2011 Ford 400. They were tied in points, but Stewart won the tiebreaker, having five wins to Edwards' one. However, if the chase was not implemented in 2011, Carl Edwards would’ve ended up beatingJimmie Johnson andKevin Harvick in the championship fight and would have locked up the championship a week early by finishing second at Phoenix. He would’ve been the first person to win the championship with only one win in the season sinceMatt Kenseth in 2003. In the Nationwide Series, Edwards contested the full season once again, but was unable to compete for the Drivers' Championship. Due to a scheduling conflict, he was forced to miss theBucyrus 200 while the Cup Series raced at Infineon. Edwards won a career high eight races (including the May Dover race, which ended similarly to the previous year's Gateway race, only Edwards did not touch Logano like he thought he did) and gave Jack Roush the Nationwide Series Owners' Championship.[9]
In January 2012, Edwards announced that he would not be competing in the Nationwide Series during the 2012 season, concentrating on his Sprint Cup championship effort.[10]
At Texas, Edwards ran well until he made an unscheduled pit stop to check the lug on the car, sending him back to thirtieth, but was able to charge through over the course of 234 laps to finish eighth.
On August 11, 2012, Edwards entered and won his only race of the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide season at Watkins Glen. On September 8, 2012, during the race at the Federation Auto Parts 400, he finished seventeenth and missed the chase for the first time since the 2006 season.[11]
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In the2013 Daytona 500, Edwards was caught in a crash in turn one afterTrevor Bayne slid, and Edwards was sent into the wall.[12] Edwards led the most laps the following week at Phoenix and prevailed late, the second time he broke a seventy-race winless streak at the short track.
On July 6, 2013, at the2013Coke Zero 400, Edwards had the potential to win until turn 2 on the last lap. He got pushed up the track byMarcos Ambrose and created a mini-pileup, putting Edwards at the end of the lead lap. The caution did not fly. The next week, he was eleventh most of the day and finished eighth at the2013 Camping World RV Sales 301.
Edwards won his second race of the year at Richmond inSeptember, assuming the lead on a cycle of pit stops and holding offKurt Busch in the last laps, earning him an additional three points for Chase seeding. Edwards' win, however, caused controversy as it was discovered that Edwards jumped in front of the leaderPaul Menard on a restart to take the lead for the final time; an action that NASCAR had given penalties for in the past.[13] Following the controversy, NASCAR changed the rules to permit anybody to beat the leader to the start-finish line as long as they accelerate past the restart line first.[14]
Though Edwards finished eleventh at Chicago and ninth at New Hampshire to start the Chase, his Chase chances were ended with a 35th-place finish at Dover, caused by an ill-handling car. He then had a fifth-place finish at Kansas, a tenth-place finish at Charlotte, a seventeenth-place finish at Talladega, and a twelfth-place finish at Martinsville. At Texas, Edwards started on the pole and battledJimmie Johnson for the lead on several restarts, before his engine blew up and he finished 37th. At Phoenix, Edwards and Johnson nearly wrecked each other in turn 1 mid-race, but both cars continued on. Edwards ran out of gas with two laps left leading. Edwards finished 21st. He ended the season with a twelfth-place finish at Homestead and a thirteenth-place finish in the final points standings.
At the2014 Food City 500, Edwards won a rain-delayed race. He led the last 78 laps.[15]
Weeks later, Edwards nearly won the All-Star Race for a second time after starting on pole. However, he was edged byJamie McMurray for the win as McMurray passed him with eight laps to go to win the $1M purse. In a post-race interview, Edwards said, "I'm disappointed but Jamie did a good job on the restart. He cleared me and beat me fair and square. My hats off to him. I wish I won but I was just beaten."
In late May 2014, it was rumored that Edwards was leaving Roush's team for good. Edwards kept quiet for months over the rumors. DuringNASCAR RaceDay, Edwards stated he declined an offer fromRichard Childress Racing, which made everybody speculate that Edwards already had plans for 2015. On June 19, 2014,Jayski's Silly Season Site stated he heard "that the deal between Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing is done, no word when it will be announced."[16] On July 27, 2014, RFR announced the 2015 lineup, with Edwards not listed.[17]
On June 22, 2014, Edwards led the final nineteen laps of the2014 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma for his 23rd career NSCS win, his first road course win of his career, his second win of 2014, and his final win for Roush.
On the day of the2014 Brickyard 400, Edwards admitted to the media that he was switching teams in 2015, effective immediately after 2014; but because a rule in his contract forbade him from mentioning his destination until September, he only mentioned the switch from Roush. According to Jack Roush, the parting was mutual and not because of any falling-out.[18][19]
Rumors arose of Edwards potentially joiningJoe Gibbs Racing, which were confirmed on August 19, 2014, with Edwards signing a multi-year deal to drive the No. 19 Toyota for the team, a fourth entry for JGR.[20]
Carl began his season on a low note, wrecking at the end of the Daytona 500 and losing the draft late in the race in Atlanta. He rebounded at Las Vegas with a terrific run. While running close to the lead and leading a couple laps, Edwards tangled withKasey Kahne with less than twenty laps to go. Edwards — while moving under Kahne — knocked Kahne into the SAFER barrier. In an apparent act of retaliation, Kahne forced Edwards out of the draft, wrecking Edwards and himself. Despite the payback, Edwards took responsibility for the collision, stating: "I was just racing as hard as I can. It's completely my fault, Kasey did a good job. I just got sucked up into him there off of turn 4 and tore up the right side a little bit and got loose into Turn 1 and that was it... that's definitely my fault. I feel bad for Kasey."
In theCoca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, Edwards took the lead early in the race, fell back, but managed to regain the lead close to the end, and held off former teammateGreg Biffle to win his 24th career win, snapping a 31-race winless streak. In July, he won the pole position for both the5-hour Energy 301 atNew Hampshire and theBrickyard 400 atIndianapolis. At Darlington, Edwards took his second win of the year after rallying back from being two laps down to the leaders.
In the Challenger Round of the Chase, Edwards started with a second-place finish at Chicagoland, coming back from a speeding penalty. At New Hampshire, he won the pole position, led nineteen laps, and finished fifth. At Dover, Edwards started third and finished fifteenth. He was eliminated in the Round of 8, but finished fifth in points.
Edwards parted ways with crew chiefDarian Grubb after the 2015 season ended.Dave Rogers was tapped as his new crew chief. Edwards showed strength with his new crew chief, evident when he brought home several top tens. Edwards dominated the final laps of the2016 Food City 500 to win the race after starting on pole. He also dominated nearly the whole race as he led 276 of 500 laps, holding offDale Earnhardt Jr. andKurt Busch on four restarts to win the race. On the final lap at Richmond, Edwards won the race after making a last-lap pass on teammateKyle Busch, by moving him up the race track. He became the first driver to make a last-lap pass in Richmond Speedway's history. This elevated him from sixth in the standings to third. Edwards qualified for the playoffs and won a rain-shortened race at Texas to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 race atHomestead–Miami Speedway. Because the race was shortened by rain, Edwards did not do his signature backflip. In thefinal race at Homestead, he was hooked by championship rivalJoey Logano on a restart with ten laps remaining, ending his hopes of winning a Cup Series championship. The championship was won byJimmie Johnson for the seventh time in his career.
On January 9, 2017, FOX Sports reported Edwards planned to step away from NASCAR to pursue other opportunities;Daniel Suárez replaced him in the 2017 season.[21] In his retirement press conference on January 11, 2017, Edwards said, “I don't have a life raft I'm jumping onto, I'm just jumping. And in a way, that makes it easier. This is a pure, simple, personal decision.”[22]
On June 6, 2007, Edwards won the 2007 NextelPrelude to the Dream at theEldora Speedway. The Prelude is a dirt late model race organized in part byTony Stewart, owner of Eldora, to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp and other worthy causes. Over twenty Nextel Cup drivers participated in the heat races and thirty-lap feature, along with other drivers from different forms of motorsports. Edwards started second in the feature and held offKyle Busch andJeff Gordon to win.[23]
Edwards participated in the2008 Race of Champions, partnered withTanner Foust. While in the individual event, Edwards faced seven-time Formula One ChampionMichael Schumacher and defeated him. In the next round, however, Edwards was defeated by eventual runner-upDavid Coulthard.
Edwards appeared onThe Price Is Right, where he presented both showcases on the episode which aired on November 10, 2009. The Showcases were NASCAR-themed, with a trip to theCoca-Cola 600 and aCamping World trailer featured in one Showcase, while the other featured the debut of a new garage door prop for the "ultimate garage" Showcase that featured tools and a hybrid version of hisFord Fusion racer.[24] Previously, Edwards had appeared in a small guest role during the fifth season of the hit Fox drama series24.[25]
He played in the annualTaco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game in 2009 atBusch Stadium in St. Louis. During the game, he sported aBoston Red Sox cap because of the affiliation his race teamRoush Fenway Racing has to the owners of the Boston Red Sox.
Edwardsguest hosted onWWE Raw on February 8, 2010. Edwards also appeared a few weeks before the2012 Daytona 500, saying toJohn Cena that he could wave the green flag for the start of the race; weather postponing the race to Monday kept Cena from doing so as he had to honor a WWE commitment in Portland.[26]
In 2015, Edwards was aNASCAR on NBC guest analyst for the Xfinity Series race at Richmond.[27] In 2016, Edwards was aFox NASCAR guest analyst for the Xfinity Series race at Texas.
Edwards has a cameo appearance as a West Virginia state trooper in the 2017 filmLogan Lucky.[28] He also had a cameo appearance inChicago Fire as a pizza delivery driver in the fourth season episode "2112". He made an appearance in the music videos forJustin Moore's 2011 song "Bait a Hook" andSara Evans's 2013 track "Slow Me Down".[29][30]
Edwards gave out business cards to other teams for his services before getting a ride with Roush Racing. Off the track, Edwards has been busy promoting his new record label, Back 40 Records, a company he started with a high school friend back inColumbia, Missouri.[31] During the week of theAuto Club 500, Edwards participated in taping of the Fox television series24, where he played Homeland Security Agent Jim Hill. Edwards was raised a Christian, but refused to talk about religion publicly and refused to answer religion-related questions when interviewed. In 2025, Edwards revealed in an interview onThe Dale Jr. Download that he was "historically an atheist at best" but added, "I've come to realize at 45 years old that if I try to write down a list of all the things God didn't give me and that I did myself, there is just an empty sheet of paper in front of me."[32]
He was rumored to be considering a run for theU.S. Senate seat in Missouri as aRepublican againstClaire McCaskill in2018 but decided not to run.Josh Hawley defeated McCaskill in that Senate race.[33][34] He was also reportedly floated as a potential nominee for the open MissouriU.S. Senate seat in2022.[35]
Edwards dated Olympic gold medalist swimmerAmanda Beard in 2005 and 2006.[36] Edwards married sports medicine doctor Katherine Downey on January 3, 2009.[37][38]
He is a first cousin once removed to fellow driverKen Schrader, who told Edwards early in his racing career to get dirt track experience before going to Cup; he would later take the advice. In light of this relationship, Edwards is often referred to as "Cousin Carl." During a visit to theUSS Constitution Museum in 2016, Edwards revealed that his great-great-great-grandfather isRutherford B. Hayes, the19thPresident of the United States.[39]
Edwards is popular among fans for celebrating his wins by doing a backflip off his car (or truck), a style of celebration he took fromsprint car driverTyler Walker. Seizing on the popularity of Edwards's trademark celebrations, Ford ran several "Overactive Adrenaline Disorder" commercials in 2006[40] featuring a "young Carl" performing backflips in his baby crib, off a couch, and off a doctor's exam table. Edwards also appeared in aThis is SportsCenter commercial when he tried to excite anchorNeil Everett following a bad show. He has appeared inAflac Commercials with the Aflac duck when Edwards was sponsored by Aflac, from 2009 to 2011.[41]
He is also dedicated to fitness by biking and long-distance running off the track, but also his sponsors, which include Subway and Vitamin Water. He also appeared on "Eat Smart, Move More" Campaign ads in 2007.[42]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | NSCC | Pts | Ref |
| 2004 | Roush Racing | 99 | Ford | DAY | CAR | LVS | ATL | DAR | BRI | TEX | MAR | TAL | CAL | RCH | CLT | DOV | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | CHI | NHA | POC | IND | GLN | MCH 10 | BRI 33 | CAL 6 | RCH 6 | NHA 20 | DOV 18 | TAL 42 | KAN 22 | CLT QL† | MAR 24 | ATL 3 | PHO 37 | DAR 7 | HOM 14 | 37th | 1424 | [43] |
| 2005 | DAY 12 | CAL 5 | LVS 14 | ATL 1 | BRI 26 | MAR 38 | TEX 19 | PHO 7 | TAL 32 | DAR 9 | RCH 21 | CLT 3 | DOV 16 | POC 1 | MCH 5 | SON 38 | DAY 33 | CHI 39 | NHA 12 | POC 4 | IND 12 | GLN 19 | MCH 4 | BRI 24 | CAL 4 | RCH 21 | NHA 19 | DOV 9 | TAL 5 | KAN 3 | CLT 10 | MAR 26 | ATL 1* | TEX 1 | PHO 6 | HOM 4* | 3rd | 6498 | [44] | |||
| 2006 | DAY 43 | CAL 3 | LVS 26 | ATL 40 | BRI 4 | MAR 16 | TEX 36 | PHO 4 | TAL 8 | RCH 7 | DAR 39 | CLT 3 | DOV 15 | POC 25 | MCH 2 | SON 6 | DAY 39 | CHI 20 | NHA 2 | POC 39 | IND 9 | GLN 5 | MCH 22 | BRI 7 | CAL 4 | RCH 35 | NHA 18 | DOV 2 | KAN 6 | TAL 9 | CLT 8 | MAR 12 | ATL 7 | TEX 15 | PHO 5 | HOM 8 | 12th | 4428 | [45] | |||
| 2007 | Roush Fenway Racing | DAY 23 | CAL 29 | LVS 6 | ATL 7 | BRI 12 | MAR 17 | TEX 12 | PHO 11 | TAL 42 | RCH 12 | DAR 5 | CLT 15 | DOV 3 | POC 14 | MCH 1* | SON 18 | NHA 13 | DAY 4 | CHI 3 | IND 18 | POC 21 | GLN 8 | MCH 7 | BRI 1 | CAL 2 | RCH 42 | NHA 12 | DOV 1 | KAN 37 | TAL 14 | CLT 5 | MAR 11 | ATL 2 | TEX 26 | PHO 42 | HOM 5 | 9th | 6222 | [46] | ||
| 2008 | DAY 19 | CAL 1 | LVS 1* | ATL 42 | BRI 16 | MAR 9 | TEX 1* | PHO 4 | TAL 40 | RCH 7 | DAR 2 | CLT 9 | DOV 2 | POC 9 | MCH 7 | SON 9 | NHA 17 | DAY 2 | CHI 32 | IND 2 | POC 1 | GLN 9 | MCH 1* | BRI 1 | CAL 6 | RCH 13 | NHA 3 | DOV 3 | KAN 2 | TAL 29 | CLT 33 | MAR 3 | ATL 1 | TEX 1* | PHO 4 | HOM 1* | 2nd | 6615 | [47] | |||
| 2009 | DAY 18 | CAL 7 | LVS 17 | ATL 3 | BRI 15 | MAR 26 | TEX 10 | PHO 10 | TAL 24 | RCH 26 | DAR 32 | CLT 4 | DOV 7 | POC 2* | MCH 4 | SON 13 | NHA 19 | DAY 4 | CHI 14 | IND 15 | POC 18 | GLN 3 | MCH 4 | BRI 16 | ATL 37 | RCH 15 | NHA 17 | DOV 11 | KAN 10 | CAL 6 | CLT 39 | MAR 20 | TAL 14 | TEX 39 | PHO 16 | HOM 7 | 11th | 6118 | [48] | |||
| 2010 | DAY 9 | CAL 13 | LVS 12 | ATL 39 | BRI 6 | MAR 8 | PHO 7 | TEX 33 | TAL 11 | RCH 5 | DAR 15 | DOV 8 | CLT 16 | POC 12 | MCH 12 | SON 29 | NHA 25 | DAY 6 | CHI 2 | IND 7 | POC 3 | GLN 5 | MCH 3 | BRI 12 | ATL 2 | RCH 10 | NHA 11 | DOV 5 | KAN 5 | CAL 6 | CLT 34 | MAR 12 | TAL 17 | TEX 19 | PHO 1 | HOM 1* | 4th | 6393 | [49] | |||
| 2011 | DAY 2 | PHO 28 | LVS 1 | BRI 2 | CAL 6 | MAR 18 | TEX 3 | TAL 6 | RCH 5 | DAR 2 | DOV 7 | CLT 16 | KAN 5 | POC 37 | MCH 5 | SON 3 | DAY 37 | KEN 5 | NHA 13 | IND 14 | POC 7 | GLN 12 | MCH 36 | BRI 9 | ATL 5 | RCH 2 | CHI 4 | NHA 8 | DOV 3 | KAN 5 | CLT 3 | TAL 11 | MAR 9 | TEX 2 | PHO 2 | HOM 2* | 2nda | 2403 | [50] | |||
| 2012 | DAY 8 | PHO 17 | LVS 5 | BRI 39 | CAL 5 | MAR 11 | TEX 8 | KAN 9 | RCH 10* | TAL 31 | DAR 7 | CLT 9 | DOV 26 | POC 11 | MCH 11 | SON 21 | KEN 20 | DAY 6 | NHA 18 | IND 29 | POC 7 | GLN 14 | MCH 6 | BRI 22 | ATL 36 | RCH 17 | CHI 19 | NHA 19 | DOV 5 | TAL 36 | CLT 7 | KAN 14 | MAR 18 | TEX 16 | PHO 11 | HOM 12 | 15th | 1030 | [51] | |||
| 2013 | DAY 33 | PHO 1* | LVS 5 | BRI 18 | CAL 4 | MAR 15 | TEX 3 | KAN 17 | RCH 6 | TAL 3 | DAR 7 | CLT 11 | DOV 14 | POC 18 | MCH 8 | SON 3 | KEN 21 | DAY 29 | NHA 8 | IND 13 | POC 11 | GLN 4 | MCH 10 | BRI 39 | ATL 18 | RCH 1 | CHI 11 | NHA 9 | DOV 35 | KAN 5 | CLT 10 | TAL 17 | MAR 12 | TEX 37 | PHO 21 | HOM 12 | 13th | 2282 | [52] | |||
| 2014 | DAY 17 | PHO 8 | LVS 5 | BRI 1 | CAL 10 | MAR 13 | TEX 14 | DAR 13 | RCH 9 | TAL 30 | KAN 6 | CLT 4 | DOV 14 | POC 41 | MCH 23 | SON 1 | KEN 17 | DAY 37 | NHA 13 | IND 15 | POC 29 | GLN 5 | MCH 23 | BRI 7 | ATL 5 | RCH 22 | CHI 20 | NHA 17 | DOV 11 | KAN 5 | CLT 8 | TAL 21 | MAR 20 | TEX 9 | PHO 15 | HOM 34 | 9th | 2288 | [53] | |||
| 2015 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 19 | Toyota | DAY 23 | ATL 12 | LVS 42 | PHO 13 | CAL 13 | MAR 17 | TEX 10 | BRI 24 | RCH 19 | TAL 32 | KAN 20 | CLT 1 | DOV 19 | POC 15 | MCH 12 | SON 40 | DAY 41 | KEN 4 | NHA 7 | IND 13 | POC 10 | GLN 8 | MCH 6 | BRI 7 | DAR 1 | RCH 11 | CHI 2 | NHA 5 | DOV 15 | CLT 6 | KAN 8 | TAL 5 | MAR 14 | TEX 5 | PHO 12 | HOM 11 | 5th | 2368 | [54] |
| 2016 | DAY 5 | ATL 5 | LVS 18 | PHO 2 | CAL 7 | MAR 6 | TEX 7 | BRI 1* | RCH 1* | TAL 35 | KAN 11 | DOV 28 | CLT 18 | POC 8 | MCH 6 | SON 4 | DAY 25 | KEN 2 | NHA 20 | IND 35 | POC 8 | GLN 15 | BRI 6 | MCH 7 | DAR 19 | RCH 32 | CHI 15 | NHA 6 | DOV 14 | CLT 12 | KAN 2 | TAL 29 | MAR 36 | TEX 1 | PHO 19 | HOM 34 | 4th | 5007 | [55] | |||
| † – Qualified forDave Blaney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
a Edwards lost the title toTony Stewart on a tiebreaker, after both tied on 2403 points. He won one race compared to Stewart's five.
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Roush Racing | Ford | 27 | 12 |
| 2006 | 5 | 43 | ||
| 2007 | Roush Fenway Racing | 14 | 23 | |
| 2008 | 11 | 19 | ||
| 2009 | 16 | 18 | ||
| 2010 | 27 | 9 | ||
| 2011 | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2012 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2013 | 36 | 33 | ||
| 2014 | 30 | 17 | ||
| 2015 | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 6 | 23 |
| 2016 | 10 | 5 |
| NASCAR Nationwide Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | NNSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2002 | Bost Motorsports | 9 | Chevy | DAY | CAR | LVS | DAR | BRI | TEX | NSH | TAL | CAL | RCH | NHA | NZH | CLT | DOV | NSH | KEN | MLW | DAY | CHI | GTW 38 | PPR | IRP | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | KAN | CLT | MEM | ATL | CAR | PHO | HOM | 117th | 49 | [56] | |
| 2004 | RAB Racing | 03 | Ford | DAY | CAR | LVS | DAR | BRI | TEX | NSH | TAL | CAL | GTW | RCH | NZH | CLT | DOV | NSH | KEN | MLW | DAY | CHI | NHA | PPR | IRP | MCH | BRI 19 | CAL | RCH | DOV | KAN | CLT | MEM | ATL | PHO | DAR | HOM | 116th | 106 | [57] | |
| 2005 | Roush Racing | 60 | Ford | DAY 10 | CAL 6 | MXC 3 | LVS 7* | ATL 1 | NSH 4 | BRI 7 | TEX 4 | PHO 8 | TAL 33 | DAR 11 | RCH 1 | CLT 35 | DOV 31 | NSH | KEN 1* | MLW 14 | DAY 36 | CHI 4 | NHA 2 | PPR 34 | GTW 3 | IRP 20 | GLN 11 | MCH 3 | BRI 29 | CAL 1 | RCH 28 | DOV 9 | KAN 27 | CLT 4 | MEM 5 | TEX 3 | PHO 1* | HOM 19 | 3rd | 4601 | [58] |
| 2006 | DAY 39 | CAL 3 | MXC 8 | LVS 5 | ATL 24 | BRI 5 | TEX 43 | NSH 5 | PHO 3 | TAL 10 | RCH 6 | DAR 8 | CLT 1 | DOV 2* | NSH 1* | KEN 36 | MLW 21 | DAY 5 | CHI 2 | NHA 1 | MAR 6 | GTW 1 | IRP 10 | GLN 27 | MCH 23 | BRI 8 | CAL 12 | RCH 9 | DOV 26 | KAN 6 | CLT 27* | MEM 3 | TEX 7 | PHO 5 | HOM 2 | 2nd | 4824 | [59] | |||
| 2007 | Roush Fenway Racing | DAY 3 | CAL 4 | MXC 4 | LVS 6 | ATL 4 | BRI 1* | NSH 1* | TEX 3 | PHO 5 | TAL 10 | RCH 13 | DAR 3 | CLT 17 | DOV 1* | NSH 1 | KEN 33* | MLW 8* | NHA 2 | DAY 11 | CHI 20 | GTW 6 | IRP 4 | CGV 30 | GLN 32 | MCH 28 | BRI 11 | CAL 26 | RCH 2 | DOV 6 | KAN 38 | CLT 33 | MEM 25 | TEX 11 | PHO 7 | HOM 4 | 1st | 4805 | [60] | ||
| 2008 | DAY 10 | CAL 5 | LVS 14 | ATL 4 | BRI 14 | NSH 3 | TEX 13 | PHO 2 | MXC 4 | TAL 31 | RCH 7* | DAR 43 | CLT 13 | DOV 2 | NSH 13 | KEN 20 | MLW 1 | NHA 5 | DAY 11 | CHI 16 | GTW 1* | IRP 11 | CGV 6 | GLN 25 | MCH 1* | BRI 37 | CAL 2 | RCH 1 | DOV 5 | KAN 4 | CLT 5 | MEM 1* | TEX 2 | PHO 1* | HOM 1 | 2nd | 5111 | [61] | |||
| 2009 | DAY 2 | CAL 4 | LVS 2 | BRI 2 | TEX 18 | NSH 5 | PHO 33 | TAL 13 | RCH 2 | DAR 3 | CLT 10 | DOV 5 | NSH 3 | KEN 20 | MLW 1 | NHA 6 | DAY 3 | CHI 6 | GTW 3 | IRP 1* | IOW 4 | GLN 3 | MCH 40 | BRI 2 | CGV 1 | ATL 7 | RCH 1 | DOV 5 | KAN 7 | CAL 3 | CLT 5 | MEM 6 | TEX 9 | PHO 1* | HOM 2 | 2nd | 5472 | [62] | |||
| 2010 | DAY 2 | CAL 4 | LVS 3 | BRI 4 | NSH 6 | PHO 6 | TEX 30 | TAL 35 | RCH 5 | DAR 6 | DOV 11 | CLT 9 | NSH 2 | KEN 2 | ROA 1* | NHA 3 | DAY 11 | CHI 6 | GTW 1 | IRP 2 | IOW 10 | GLN 33 | MCH 2 | BRI 5 | CGV 20* | ATL 3 | RCH 10 | DOV 3 | KAN 14 | CAL 4 | CLT 13 | GTW 5 | TEX 1 | PHO 1* | HOM 6 | 2nd | 5194 | [63] | |||
| 2011 | DAY 29 | PHO 2 | LVS 6* | BRI 7 | CAL 2 | TEX 1* | TAL 17 | NSH 1* | RCH 25 | DAR 20 | DOV 1* | IOW 2 | CLT 2* | CHI 2* | MCH 1* | ROA | DAY 14 | KEN 8 | NHA 34 | NSH 1* | IRP 5 | IOW 2 | GLN 5 | CGV 7 | BRI 4 | ATL 1* | RCH 2* | CHI 2 | DOV 1* | KAN 2 | CLT 1 | TEX 3* | PHO 3 | HOM 3* | 89th | 01 | [64] | ||||
| 2012 | DAY | PHO | LVS | BRI | CAL | TEX | RCH | TAL | DAR | IOW | CLT | DOV | MCH | ROA | KEN | DAY | NHA | CHI | IND | IOW | GLN 1 | CGV | BRI | ATL | RCH | CHI | KEN | DOV | CLT | KAN | TEX | PHO | HOM | 105th | 01 | [65] | |||||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | NCTC | Pts | Ref |
| 2002 | MB Motorsports | 63 | Ford | DAY | DAR | MAR | GTW | PPR | DOV | TEX | MEM 23 | MLW 28 | KAN 8 | KEN 18 | NHA | MCH | IRP 19 | NSH | RCH | TEX 24 | SBO | LVS 36 | CAL | PHO | HOM | 33rd | 676 | [66] | |||
| 2003 | Roush Racing | 99 | Ford | DAY 24 | DAR 23 | MMR 15 | MAR 4 | CLT 12 | DOV 33 | TEX 2 | MEM 5 | MLW 15 | KAN 2 | KEN 1 | GTW 4 | MCH 5 | IRP 1* | NSH 1* | BRI 11 | RCH 25 | NHA 2 | CAL 7 | LVS 27 | SBO 7 | TEX 4 | MAR 2 | PHO 4 | HOM 27 | 8th | 3416 | [67] |
| 2004 | DAY 1* | ATL 7 | MAR 6 | MFD 17 | CLT 2* | DOV 14 | TEX 6 | MEM 5 | MLW 23 | KAN 1 | KEN 33 | GTW 18 | MCH 6 | IRP 5 | NSH 20 | BRI 1 | RCH 5 | NHA 4 | LVS 33 | CAL 10 | TEX 9 | MAR 8 | PHO 10 | DAR 4 | HOM 12 | 4th | 3493 | [68] | |||
| 2006 | Roush Racing | 50 | Ford | DAY | CAL | ATL | MAR | GTW | CLT | MFD | DOV 2 | TEX | MCH | MLW | KAN | KEN | MEM | IRP | NSH | BRI | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | ATL | TEX | PHO | HOM | 63rd | 170 | [69] |
| 2007 | Roush Fenway Racing | DAY 24 | CAL 4 | ATL | MAR | KAN | CLT | MFD | DOV | TEX | MCH | MLW | MEM | KEN | IRP | NSH | BRI | GTW | NHA | LVS | TAL | MAR | ATL | TEX | PHO | HOM | 64th | 251 | [70] | ||
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, Results areoverall/class)
| Rolex Sports Car Series results | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Make | Engine | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Points | Ref |
| 2009 | Doran Racing | Dallara | Ford | DP | DAY | VIR | NJ | LAG | WAT | MOH | DAY2 | BAR | WAT2 | CGV 29/16 | MIL | HOM | 0 | [71] |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | NASCAR Busch Series Champion 2007 | Succeeded by |
| Achievements | ||
| Preceded by | Coca-Cola 600 Winner 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Bojangles' Southern 500 Winner 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Winner 2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Prelude to the Dream Winner 2007 | Succeeded by Tony Stewart |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year 2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year 2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NASCAR Busch Series Most Popular Driver 2007 | Succeeded by |
Carl Edwards related navboxes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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