Carl Edwards was nominated to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 21, an honor that Edwards himself didn’t see coming; so much so, that when asked to be available for the announcement of the inductees, Edwards was so sure he wouldn’t be on the list that he was on an airplane.
It wasn’t until his flight landed and Edwards received a message from his wife that he discovered that he was, in fact, one of three individuals to be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 7, 2025.
“I did not expect this in any way. I was shocked. I actually wasn’t available at 4 p.m. (local time) when they announced it because I thought there was no reason to be, and it’s been a huge deal to me. Much bigger than I ever would have expected,” Edwards told NASCAR.com.
Edwards will be joined by Ricky Rudd and Ralph Moody as fellow inductees. Dean Sicking will also be honored with the group as the Landmark Award winner for his contributions to racing.
Edwards’ impact on the sport was greater than he had imagined.
“I guess that’s why it shocks me. It’s hard to explain. I see myself as someone who won the lottery in racing. I wanted to drive race cars more than anything in the world and I got to do it,” Edwards said.
GettyCarl Edwards, Texas Motor Speedway, 2018
Carl Edwards: A Racing Career to Be Proud Of
Edwards spent 13 seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, over which he won 28 races, and had 445 starts, first with Jack Roush Racing and then Joe Gibbs Racing. Some of his wins include the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500, and memorably, he nearly won the 2011 championship title, which ultimately ended in a tie-breaker loss to Tony Stewart.
He also appeared in the Xfinity Series, where in 2007 he won the Xfinity Series championship. In the six qualifying seasons he spent in the Xfinity Series, Edwards never dropped below third place in the championship standings.
However, when fans think of Edwards’ career, they might remember the 2016 season finale best. Edwards was one of four drivers in championship contention, but after significant contact with Joey Logano on a late-race restart left him unable to finish the race, Edwards left the NASCAR grid for good.
His sudden departure from the sport has always left more questions than answers, and when speaking about his HOF induction, Edwards attempted to clear the air regarding his 2016 exit from racing.
“I may have been unclear, and I want to be explicit, that I did not leave the sport because of the way 2016 ended. Period,” he said.
“But as far as being an impetus for my stepping away, I’ll go right back to what I said when I did, and I said it clearly but maybe not clearly enough, I just needed time. I woke up and I realized, at the end of my career, I’m not spending time doing anything other than racing.”
Alongside the Hall of Fame honor, Edwards was also named to the NASCAR 76 Greatest Programs list.
GettyCarl Edwards celebrates at CARFAX 250, 2008
What Might Be Next for Edwards
Edwards has largely stayed away from the NASCAR limelight in the years following 2016, although he’s made a brief few media appearances including a stint in the broadcast box more recently.
The Hall of Fame induction draws Edwards back into the NASCAR orbit even more. Could fans see him jumping into a car in competition anytime soon?
“I respect too much what it takes to be great. I lived that life every day for 20 years and my idea of fun isn’t doing something just to do it. I want to be great at something and it would be disrespectful to everyone that is striving to be great to go do it just for fun,” Edwards said.
That being said, Edwards has enjoyed his more recent experiences on the simulator test driving (for fun) some of the newer models.
“I did enjoy running the SIM a little bit last year and I think I’m going to go do a little bit more of that just to try to understand. I mean I love driving cars and I’m very curious,” he added.
And his stint in the broadcast booth at a Cup Series race? Edwards enjoyed that too.
“What I enjoyed was being up in the (TV) booth. I enjoyed kind of calling the race to whatever degree I did there for 45 minutes or whatever. So, maybe something like that,” he said.
But, he has yet to figure out what his future in NASCAR looks like; “I don’t have anything lined up right now, but definitely much more open to that than I ever have been.”
“My mission is to just make sure all of you, everyone in the sport, the fans, you all know how much I appreciate you. Standing from afar, I really appreciate it more now. If I can use this honor, and this time to let people know how I feel, my gratitude, that’s what I want to accomplish now,” Edwards said.
Edwards’ departure from the world of NASCAR after a 13-year career left him as a Hall of Fame inductee, and, perhaps, has afforded him a new perspective in light of this great honor.
“It makes me remember and realize and put into perspective how much went into this. How much energy was put in by all the guys that worked on the cars, built the cars, sold the sponsorship, the media, the fans, everyone. And I got to be in the driver’s seat…I got to live my greatest wildest dreams as a kid. I think it really opens it for me — to be able to look at this and understand it’s not just something that I did and it’s done.
“This sport lives on. The spirit of everyone striving and trying to be the best they can and competing; I’m so grateful to have been a part of it while I was,” he said.
Comments
Carl Edwards ‘Shocked’ by NASCAR Hall of Fame News