dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
For those unable to watch earlier.....
Carl Edwards retires
- Thread starter Naitch
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hidesert cowboy
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for a guy that puts this flag above his car next to his name and his sponsors actually let him, rather he likely demands it. says volumes about who Carl is and what he stands for. I think we are going to hear alot from carl going forward. While I have never been much of a carl edwards fan, probably because of him being a roush drive and nothing else. I am going to miss him ALOT. Go forth and represent freedom, virture, intergrity, Carl, I support you in your future endeavors. as a side note he didn't mention the hits taken as his 3rd reason I wonder if dale jr's deal had an impact on him.
Thanks dpk, for some reson or other he decided to have his press conference at 4am my time.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Here's the full transcript of the Edward's Press Conference.....
CARL EDWARDS: I didn't want a podium up here, but all right, thanks for coming. It's occurred to me there must be some sort of thing that people do on the internet where they communicate really quickly because everybody found out about this in a hurry, Twitter or something.
Anyway, so I am, I'm stepping away from full‑time driving in the Cup Series. And I'm not taking any questions, so thanks for coming. No, I'm just joking.
I think I owe it to you guys, and I'd like to share my reasoning and then allow you guys to ask some questions and talk about this. But before I get to my reasons, I'd like to just talk a little bit about my career and things that are important to me. I want to say, first of all, this is about the most scared I've ever been about something, just talking about this and going through this whole process, so bear with me on that.
I've been racing for over 20 years. It's been something that I wouldn't trade for anything. I have no regrets. It's been a blast, and I owe thanks to a lot of people. My family, my mom, my dad, and all the people who have become like family through racing, from Capital Speedway in Holts Summit, Missouri, all the way to Daytona, and Mike Helton and Lesa and Brian France and everybody at the top of the sport, and I've had so much fun meeting everyone, had so much fun driving.
I mean, guys, there is nothing I love more than driving down a corner at 190 miles an hour sideways next to the best drivers in the world, and so yeah, my competitors. You guys are amazing. You can be jerks sometimes, but let's be honest, I can be a jerk, too.
But what you've done for me, my competitors, all of you, is you've pushed me, and you've made the ‑‑ when you win one of these races or you do well, you know that you have beaten the best, and it feels almost impossible in the process, but then when you're done, it's the most amazing feeling ever, and that's because of how good all of you guys are, so thanks for letting me be a part of that group.
To all my crew members and team members and the people who have built these cars and worked on these things, and Jason Hedlesky, my spotter and Randy Fuller and Dave Rogers, who's become one of my best friends, the team owners I've driven for, Mike Mittler, Jack Roush, Coach Gibbs, there are no better men on earth, and I'm glad to have been around them and to see how they do things and to have been a part of that. And without racing, I wouldn't have been able to do any of that.
So, the fans: The fans have been spectacular. Jack Roush said, 'We could all go do all this and race around a field with nobody watching, but that wouldn't be any fun.' The fans are what make this great. My buddy, the late great Bob Healy, used to say, 'The world is all screwed up because all the people that are qualified to fix it are busy messing with cars, and I think that sums it up.' There's some really great people in the sport.
And the media, thank you guys. I know when I first came in the sport, all you did was write nice things about me and I thought that's how it was always going to be, and I really appreciated it and I thanked you, but then we went through some down times, and now we're good again.
If any of you are planning on writing bad stuff, you don't get the free Subway on the way out. So just let that be known.
So we get to the reasons. Why would I step away from all of that? And the reasons are pretty straightforward. There are three of them. No. 1, I am truly, I am personally satisfied with my career, and I know right now you're thinking, well, you don't have a championship. Well, Jimmie [Johnson] has got some extras if he wants to send one my way, but truly, you guys know that I don't race just for the trophies. This has always been a really ‑‑ this has been a neat journey for me and it's always been something that I've been rewarded by the challenges, and there's some race car drivers sitting here, Ricky, and you know how it is. It's scary in so many ways to go racing. I mean, initially, first time I stepped on the throttle of my dad's race car, I mean, I thought I was the greatest driver ever, and about a half second later I pulled my foot right off, and I couldn't get it to go back down, and I thought, man, this is going to be tough. So you go from that to working up the courage to ask people to drive a car to being put in situations where you know if you drive well and you win, you get sponsorship and everything works.
Going through that whole process and becoming a better person, a stronger person, a better competitor, a better teammate, a better friend to people, that's a big deal to me, and I feel accomplished.
And I know when I sit in that race car that I am the best race car driver I can be. So whether or not I have a championship, I'm really satisfied with that.
So that's a long‑winded version one. And remember, I am long‑winded. I'm saving you like a whole year of this stuff by doing it this way.
Second reason is that ‑‑ and I'm not going to get any sympathy from anyone in the room, but this is an all‑encompassing thing. You guys, we do this, and it's full time. And not just the physical time, but I wake up in the morning thinking about racing. I think about it all day. I go to bed thinking about it. And I have dreams about racing. And that's just how it is. I've been doing that for 20 years, and I need to take that time right now and devote it to people and things that are important to me, things I'm really passionate about.
And the third reason is my health. I can stand here healthy, and that's a testament after all the racing I've done and all the stupid stuff I've done in a race car, that is a true testament to NASCAR, to the tracks, to the people who have built my race cars, to my competitors, and to the drivers who have come before me who haven't been so fortunate.
Having said that, though, it's a risky sport. I'm aware of the risks. I don't like how it feels to take the hits that we take, and I'm a sharp guy, and I want to be a sharp guy in 30 years. So those risks are something that I want to minimize.
Now, if I put those three things together, that brings us to the timing of this. Slight shock, I know. I keep thinking about that scene from "Forrest Gump" where he stops running. Everybody is like, what? If I put those three things together, the timing for me to do this is now, and that's where Coach Gibbs comes in. I don't know if Coach is in here.
Thank you for allowing me to do this. This is a personal decision.
If I wanted to race next year, I know ‑‑ I've heard, I shut my phone off, but I've heard people think I'm going somewhere else or doing something else. If I'm going to get back in a race car, which I'm not saying the R word here, I've see how that's worked out for guys, but if I'm going to get back in a race car, I'm calling Coach Gibbs first. There is no better race team. There is no faster car than a Toyota Camry. There's no better engine. There's no better crew chief than Dave Rogers. There's no better crew. And I'm going to race here.
So thank you. When I walked into his office and said, Hey, Coach, this is something that's important to me; is this possible? I've told him this, I looked at ‑‑ made sure to check which hand the ring was on because I thought it was coming, and instead, he stuck out his hand in a much different way, and he said, I admire you for being able to make a decision like this, and I'm going to go to work for you, and that's the type of person Joe Gibbs is. That's the type of organization this is. I cannot thank him enough.
So those are my reasons. I'm satisfied with my career. I'd like to spend time on other things outside of it, and my health is important to me. I am healthy. Everybody texted me yesterday ‑‑ yeah, I'm great, and all the people close to me are healthy. I appreciate are those concerns, but that's not an issue.
Do you guys have any questions at all?
Read the rest including the Q/A: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar/...ipt-carl-edwards-retires-nascar#ixzz4VTmeGlsN
CARL EDWARDS: I didn't want a podium up here, but all right, thanks for coming. It's occurred to me there must be some sort of thing that people do on the internet where they communicate really quickly because everybody found out about this in a hurry, Twitter or something.
Anyway, so I am, I'm stepping away from full‑time driving in the Cup Series. And I'm not taking any questions, so thanks for coming. No, I'm just joking.
I think I owe it to you guys, and I'd like to share my reasoning and then allow you guys to ask some questions and talk about this. But before I get to my reasons, I'd like to just talk a little bit about my career and things that are important to me. I want to say, first of all, this is about the most scared I've ever been about something, just talking about this and going through this whole process, so bear with me on that.
I've been racing for over 20 years. It's been something that I wouldn't trade for anything. I have no regrets. It's been a blast, and I owe thanks to a lot of people. My family, my mom, my dad, and all the people who have become like family through racing, from Capital Speedway in Holts Summit, Missouri, all the way to Daytona, and Mike Helton and Lesa and Brian France and everybody at the top of the sport, and I've had so much fun meeting everyone, had so much fun driving.
I mean, guys, there is nothing I love more than driving down a corner at 190 miles an hour sideways next to the best drivers in the world, and so yeah, my competitors. You guys are amazing. You can be jerks sometimes, but let's be honest, I can be a jerk, too.
But what you've done for me, my competitors, all of you, is you've pushed me, and you've made the ‑‑ when you win one of these races or you do well, you know that you have beaten the best, and it feels almost impossible in the process, but then when you're done, it's the most amazing feeling ever, and that's because of how good all of you guys are, so thanks for letting me be a part of that group.
To all my crew members and team members and the people who have built these cars and worked on these things, and Jason Hedlesky, my spotter and Randy Fuller and Dave Rogers, who's become one of my best friends, the team owners I've driven for, Mike Mittler, Jack Roush, Coach Gibbs, there are no better men on earth, and I'm glad to have been around them and to see how they do things and to have been a part of that. And without racing, I wouldn't have been able to do any of that.
So, the fans: The fans have been spectacular. Jack Roush said, 'We could all go do all this and race around a field with nobody watching, but that wouldn't be any fun.' The fans are what make this great. My buddy, the late great Bob Healy, used to say, 'The world is all screwed up because all the people that are qualified to fix it are busy messing with cars, and I think that sums it up.' There's some really great people in the sport.
And the media, thank you guys. I know when I first came in the sport, all you did was write nice things about me and I thought that's how it was always going to be, and I really appreciated it and I thanked you, but then we went through some down times, and now we're good again.
If any of you are planning on writing bad stuff, you don't get the free Subway on the way out. So just let that be known.
So we get to the reasons. Why would I step away from all of that? And the reasons are pretty straightforward. There are three of them. No. 1, I am truly, I am personally satisfied with my career, and I know right now you're thinking, well, you don't have a championship. Well, Jimmie [Johnson] has got some extras if he wants to send one my way, but truly, you guys know that I don't race just for the trophies. This has always been a really ‑‑ this has been a neat journey for me and it's always been something that I've been rewarded by the challenges, and there's some race car drivers sitting here, Ricky, and you know how it is. It's scary in so many ways to go racing. I mean, initially, first time I stepped on the throttle of my dad's race car, I mean, I thought I was the greatest driver ever, and about a half second later I pulled my foot right off, and I couldn't get it to go back down, and I thought, man, this is going to be tough. So you go from that to working up the courage to ask people to drive a car to being put in situations where you know if you drive well and you win, you get sponsorship and everything works.
Going through that whole process and becoming a better person, a stronger person, a better competitor, a better teammate, a better friend to people, that's a big deal to me, and I feel accomplished.
And I know when I sit in that race car that I am the best race car driver I can be. So whether or not I have a championship, I'm really satisfied with that.
So that's a long‑winded version one. And remember, I am long‑winded. I'm saving you like a whole year of this stuff by doing it this way.
Second reason is that ‑‑ and I'm not going to get any sympathy from anyone in the room, but this is an all‑encompassing thing. You guys, we do this, and it's full time. And not just the physical time, but I wake up in the morning thinking about racing. I think about it all day. I go to bed thinking about it. And I have dreams about racing. And that's just how it is. I've been doing that for 20 years, and I need to take that time right now and devote it to people and things that are important to me, things I'm really passionate about.
And the third reason is my health. I can stand here healthy, and that's a testament after all the racing I've done and all the stupid stuff I've done in a race car, that is a true testament to NASCAR, to the tracks, to the people who have built my race cars, to my competitors, and to the drivers who have come before me who haven't been so fortunate.
Having said that, though, it's a risky sport. I'm aware of the risks. I don't like how it feels to take the hits that we take, and I'm a sharp guy, and I want to be a sharp guy in 30 years. So those risks are something that I want to minimize.
Now, if I put those three things together, that brings us to the timing of this. Slight shock, I know. I keep thinking about that scene from "Forrest Gump" where he stops running. Everybody is like, what? If I put those three things together, the timing for me to do this is now, and that's where Coach Gibbs comes in. I don't know if Coach is in here.
Thank you for allowing me to do this. This is a personal decision.
If I wanted to race next year, I know ‑‑ I've heard, I shut my phone off, but I've heard people think I'm going somewhere else or doing something else. If I'm going to get back in a race car, which I'm not saying the R word here, I've see how that's worked out for guys, but if I'm going to get back in a race car, I'm calling Coach Gibbs first. There is no better race team. There is no faster car than a Toyota Camry. There's no better engine. There's no better crew chief than Dave Rogers. There's no better crew. And I'm going to race here.
So thank you. When I walked into his office and said, Hey, Coach, this is something that's important to me; is this possible? I've told him this, I looked at ‑‑ made sure to check which hand the ring was on because I thought it was coming, and instead, he stuck out his hand in a much different way, and he said, I admire you for being able to make a decision like this, and I'm going to go to work for you, and that's the type of person Joe Gibbs is. That's the type of organization this is. I cannot thank him enough.
So those are my reasons. I'm satisfied with my career. I'd like to spend time on other things outside of it, and my health is important to me. I am healthy. Everybody texted me yesterday ‑‑ yeah, I'm great, and all the people close to me are healthy. I appreciate are those concerns, but that's not an issue.
Do you guys have any questions at all?
Read the rest including the Q/A: http://autoweek.com/article/nascar/...ipt-carl-edwards-retires-nascar#ixzz4VTmeGlsN
hidesert cowboy
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I just watched the presser with Carl, wow what a guy, you just want to give the guy a big bear hug and wish him the best. Guys like him are what makes nascar way way way different than the NFL or any stick and ball sport. He got chocked up with someone asked him about doing the right thing. I think the media struggles to show just what great people these guys are and we end up having to dig to see it.
prediction, Carl looks in perfect health I am sure he got up every day and did his routine, I personally think a guy like that will miss it and have to come back to it.
prediction, Carl looks in perfect health I am sure he got up every day and did his routine, I personally think a guy like that will miss it and have to come back to it.
for a guy that puts this flag above his car next to his name and his sponsors actually let him, rather he likely demands it. says volumes about who Carl is and what he stands for. I think we are going to hear alot from carl going forward. While I have never been much of a carl edwards fan, probably because of him being a roush drive and nothing else. I am going to miss him ALOT. Go forth and represent freedom, virture, intergrity, Carl, I support you in your future endeavors. as a side note he didn't mention the hits taken as his 3rd reason I wonder if dale jr's deal had an impact on him.
Wow, I never knew about the flag. Makes me like him more.
Fordracing7
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Bless him after watching some of that im 90% sure he is done. good for him.
Kiante
Team Owner
Now he has all that free-time to make Subway commercials.
Carl is a great spokesman.
Carl is a great spokesman.
Zerkfitting
Team Owner
It is unusual to see a driver leave on his own terms. I thought he spoke from the heart in his press conference. It is clear that he reached a point in his life where he feels comfortable making a change.
S
Skoalbandit33
Guest
Over the years I have seen many quality stick and ball players retire that likely could have continued on. I am very happy for Carl and am glad he will be available to help raise his family as it is something many fathers think they do but they don't.
Carl will be back in a race car.
bustedknee
Curtis Turner Fan
I have it on good authority, Trump called Carl and asked him to be his Secretary of Racing.
jaqua19
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I just wish he'd get another shot at a title. I think though in most everyone's mind, he's a champion.
He's been, in general, one of the 5 best drivers of the last decade.. and one of..what, 4 drivers who have put together more than 1 championship calibur season despite not winning?
2011 was hardest, as Bob Osbourne cost Carl the title at Phoenix by late pitting a race he had won.
The championship hardware would have been nice to compliment his abilities as a driver. The press conference also made this a bit more difficult to swallow
He's been, in general, one of the 5 best drivers of the last decade.. and one of..what, 4 drivers who have put together more than 1 championship calibur season despite not winning?
2011 was hardest, as Bob Osbourne cost Carl the title at Phoenix by late pitting a race he had won.
The championship hardware would have been nice to compliment his abilities as a driver. The press conference also made this a bit more difficult to swallow
kymartin6
KY
Thanks dp........... I enjoyed watching it....... I was a little surprised he never mentioned Jack at all for helping him get started........
Team Penske
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It is like the Winston champions are now all Monster champions.
Carl is now all Toyota and JGR.
Michfan
Team Owner
Yeah, all of the close losses hurt. 2011 he ran such a consistent season. 2008 he had those 9 wins. It just feels like he should be a champion. And then you have asshats (really just one) who come in this thread and try to diminish what he did...
Michfan
Team Owner
Just listening to his press conference again, I agree with you. I just don't see him staying away and never come back. I hope I'm right.
DUN24
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jws926
I need to think of something new for here
The thing with Cousin Carl that always impressed the hell outa me was every interview if he was wearing sun glasses, he took them off, class act all the way.
Much respect for him on living life on his terms.
Much respect for him on living life on his terms.
Charlie Spencer
Road courses and short tracks.
Brian must regard that as a snub, what with him having endorsed El Trumpo.
Zerkfitting
Team Owner
I put him in the Mark Martian category (2nd place champion).
AdoubleU24
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For those that didn't like Carl, what about him did you find unlikeable?
Charlie Spencer
Road courses and short tracks.
Yeah, but Mark has more 2nd places, so he's the 1st place 2nd place champ.
Now he is out, everyone is talking like he was some kind of angel. I learned to dislike him early in his Cup career. He was good at apologizing to a driver for crashing him but it got old.. like he thought that would fix it. Even the drivers got tired of his apologizing. Then there was the time he rammed the side of Junior's NW/Busch car on the cool down lap when Junior had his arm out the window. He went into VL to carry on his aggression. Then there was the bullying deal with Kenseth. Also, his punting Brad into the fence upside down. I think Carl was like 80 laps down at the time. I did not think he was the Eddie Haskell the media was portraying him to be.
hidesert cowboy
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I didn't hate carl per say, wasn't a huge fan I think mainly because he was a roush driver. He didn't really say anything about jack during the whole presser, That says a lot too. Like I said the media isn't able to reveal just how good of guys ,any of these drivers are as people. Also over the years I think carl has become a better guy. So some of the things years ago would not happen today. Give a guy fame and fortune frankly I have seen it turn regular people into dirt balls. Those it doesn't says a lot about them
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
There were times I didn't like him but I could say the same of just about every other driver out there.
Man, what a sense of relief Carl is probably feeling today. About 24 hours after the official announcement, he gets to start on a well earned life after sports. I can only assume that he's made his fortune and is now able to leave to live a monetarily worry free life. Something I sure wish I were able to do.
Good luck to him.
Man, what a sense of relief Carl is probably feeling today. About 24 hours after the official announcement, he gets to start on a well earned life after sports. I can only assume that he's made his fortune and is now able to leave to live a monetarily worry free life. Something I sure wish I were able to do.
Good luck to him.
I will agree he seems to have changed for the better.
dpkimmel2001
Team Owner
Mark Martin 'confused' by Carl Edwards’ decision to walk away from racing
When Carl Edwards first broke into the Cup Series ranks, veteran driver Mark Martin served as both his teammate and mentor at Roush Racing.
Edwards looked up to Martin as one of his heroes, and the two grew close over the years even after they no longer raced together.
But Martin said Thursday he doesn’t understand Edwards’ shocking decision to step away from racing at age 37, calling himself “confused” by the situation.
“I thought I knew Carl pretty well,” Martin said on a conference call with reporters. “He and I have not have a chance to discuss it. I just don’t know what factors really went into making that decision. I’ll know and understand it when he gets a chance to take me through his decision process.”
Read the rest here.....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport.../?hootPostID=a58a77859f8e31c0b86319abfbbdb75a
When Carl Edwards first broke into the Cup Series ranks, veteran driver Mark Martin served as both his teammate and mentor at Roush Racing.
Edwards looked up to Martin as one of his heroes, and the two grew close over the years even after they no longer raced together.
But Martin said Thursday he doesn’t understand Edwards’ shocking decision to step away from racing at age 37, calling himself “confused” by the situation.
“I thought I knew Carl pretty well,” Martin said on a conference call with reporters. “He and I have not have a chance to discuss it. I just don’t know what factors really went into making that decision. I’ll know and understand it when he gets a chance to take me through his decision process.”
Read the rest here.....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport.../?hootPostID=a58a77859f8e31c0b86319abfbbdb75a
Michfan
Team Owner
No I don't think so.
Rick
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So when someone breaks their back you call it karma with a smirk on your face?
S
Skoalbandit33
Guest
Carl pissed me off a few times. Once was when he just about took Jr's hand off and MIS, the other was at Atlanta (I think) when he came back onto the track for no other reason then to crash BKez and the third was at Kansas I think. Jimmie Johnson was leading and Carl made a reckless banzai move to get around him and then blamed it on being able to execute the move in a video game. It was very lame.
Regardless I have nothing but respect and admiration for him and would consider it an honor to shake his hand and have a beer with him.
Greg
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I am just thankful that Carl wasn't forced to race two or three extry years like Jeff Gordon was forced to do. Good job by JGR.
But it is probably more complicated. The Mafia, and illuminottis probably was a factor with making Jeff a hostage driver.
But it is probably more complicated. The Mafia, and illuminottis probably was a factor with making Jeff a hostage driver.
jaqua19
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Does anyone think he'll be back at any point part time? It doesn't sound like a break, but doesn't sound like retirement either, he even vocally expressed not using the r-word.
It seems kind of like a, "I'm stepping awsy, I don't want to do this anymore as of right now"
It seems kind of like a, "I'm stepping awsy, I don't want to do this anymore as of right now"
Something is on his mind. I believe he'll be back full time.
Team Penske
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All I had against Carl was that years ago he didn't think twice about wrecking someone to get the win.
Then there was the incident where he threatened Matt who at the time was an OK guy. Today I would support Carl in punching Matt's lights out.
Then of course he did try to bully Brad which didn't work because Brad asked Junior ahead of time what to do if someone tried to pull a Tony and run him below the line. I think Carl has become a better person since he married his doctor and I also think he would be great in the booth.
I have a strong suspicion Carl is going to be working for Brian France.
Team Penske
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I think Carl is interested in some other type of racing on a part time basis.
Charlie Spencer
Road courses and short tracks.
Back in Cup or even X? I don't think so. He left the door open, but if he races again I suspect it will be in other forms of motorsports. Maybe Cousin Kenny needs a co-driver.