A former Busch Series champion has weighed in about one of the biggest moves in NASCAR. Carl Edwards has expressed excitement about Brad Keselowski becoming a driver/partial owner at RFK Racing.
The former Cup Series star appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Wednesday, December 22, and provided his thoughts about a variety of topics. One of the biggest was Keselowski joining another team after spending his entire Cup Series career with Team Penske.
“I think (Brad) is one of the toughest competitors in this sport,” Edwards said, transcript courtesy of NASCAR. “I think he’s got a focus and he’s got a competitive drive and a persistence. I’ve never seen anybody with more. I have a lot of respect for Brad. And when I heard that he was going to be a part of Roush Racing, to me, that’s exciting. I believe that he, combined with the Fenway group and Jack, that’s a match right there.”
Edwards and Keselowski spent a considerable amount of time competing against each other, both in the Xfinity Series and the Cup Series. They had a feud that led to multiple intention on-track wrecks, Edwards losing 60 Nationwide Series points, and probation for both drivers after a 2010 incident at Gateway Motorsports Park.
The feud became less of a story after NASCAR’s disciplinary measures Keselowski and Edwards continued to race each other hard while fighting for wins until the end of the 2016 season when Edwards retired from full-time stock car racing.
Edwards Will Not Return to NASCAR
ICYMI: Former driver Carl Edwards joined @DanielleTrotta & @LarryMac28 on #SXMOnTrack and talked @NASCAR #NextGen and if we’d see him back inside a racecar anytime soon:
Part of the conversation also focused on the introduction of the Next Gen Cup Series cars in 2022. Edwards said that the stock cars interest him and that he supports the move to high-horsepower, low-downforce packages at the majority of tracks.
Taking an interest in the future of NASCAR is one thing; climbing back into a stock car is something else entirely. Edwards has made it clear that while he does have an interest in the Next Gen, he doesn’t plan on making his long-awaited return to the Cup Series.
Edwards explained during his appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the changes in NASCAR really shake things up. He specifically mentioned the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race and the addition of new tracks. The former championship contender then reiterated that he will not make a comeback even though the first year of the Next Gen era would be a good time.
“Competitively speaking, yeah, if a person were going to come back to the sport so to speak, the best time would be when everyone’s scrambling to try to figure something out,” Edwards said during his appearance. “I can tell you right now, I’d be about the slowest guy that you’ve met. It’s a diminishing skill set. … If you’re asking me if I’m going to come drive a car this year, the answer is no.”
Edwards Has Spent Time Helping Those in Need
I’m sure other people saw this, but I just saw it the other day for the first time. Carl Edwards was out helping tornado victims after the outbreak.
The former NASCAR driver stays away from social media, so there are many questions about what he does now that he isn’t racing on a weekly basis. One answer is that he has helped people in need.
A Facebook user named Reid Metcalf posted a photo on his profile on December 14 that showed him posing with Edwards in front of fallen trees and heavy equipment. Metcalf explained that the former driver was helping him “get out of this mess,” referencing the tornadoes that caused severe damage across Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas, and Missouri.
Edwards explained during his appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that he had joined forces with Gideon Rescue Company for the trip to Kentucky to help with cleanup efforts. He said that the organization told him they delivered hope and that they showed him during his time in Kentucky.
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Carl Edwards Weighs In on Brad Keselowski’s Partnership With Jack Roush