Carl Edwards
DRIVER
SPRINT CUP SERIES: No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion
NATIONWIDE SERIES: No. 60 Scotts Ford Fusion
PERSONAL PROFILE
BIRTHDATE: August 15, 1979
HOMETOWN: Columbia, Mo.
RESIDENCE: Columbia, Mo.
MARITAL STATUS: Single
In just five short years, Carl Edwards has had a storied NASCAR career. Moving his way from the Craftsman Truck Series to NASCAR's elite Sprint Cup Series, winning a Busch Series Championship and chalking up numerous wins in between, he is considered one the NASCAR's most voracious competitors.
In the first 10 years of his career, Carl Edwards accumulated two NASCAR sanctioned track championships, three Rookie-of-the-Year honors, and 75 feature wins while racing on both dirt and pavement tracks across the country. The drive and determination that Edwards showed in those 10 years launched him into a successful NASCAR career that continues into 2007 as he sets out to compete full-time in both the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series for the third consecutive year.
Racing is not new to Edwards. His father, Carl "Mike" Edwards, has been racing modified stock cars and USAC midgets for four decades accumulating over 200 feature wins at several Midwestern tracks. Carl Edwards, Jr. began his racing career in 1993 at the age of 13 driving four-cylinder mini-sprints.
In 1994, following his father's winning ways, Edwards won four feature races running on the tracks around Missouri and Illinois in the mini-sprint series. Throughout the 1995 and 1996 seasons he collected 14 additional feature wins in the mini-sprint series.
In 1997 Edwards switched to the dirt circuit to compete in the IMCA modified division. In 1998 he won Rookie-of-the-Year honors in the IMCA modified division at Capital Speedway in Holt Summit, MO.
Edwards picked up the pace in 1999 as he competed in the Modified (two-barrel) division and the Dirt Late Model class at Capital Speedway. He gathered 13 feature wins in the Modified division on his way to the NASCAR Track Championship.
The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series was Edwards' next challenge in 2000. In the Pro-Modified (four-barrel) division, Edwards won 13 feature races, was Rookie-of-the-Year, and claimed the Capital Speedway Track Championship. Looking for additional challenges in 2000, he also competed in three Sportsman division races at California, MO, and Capital Speedway – winning all three races.
Edwards won nine out of the eleven Baby Grand division races he competed in at Indianapolis, IN, Tucson, AZ, Lebanon, MO, and Moberly, MO in 2001. He also ran five of the seven USAC Silver Crown Series pavement races. He competed at Richmond, VA, Indianapolis, IN, Phoenix, AZ, and Irwindale, CA. He continued gaining valuable experience as he achieved his best finish in 15th place at Richmond. In 2003, he earned a podium finish with a third at IRP in his only USAC race of the year.
Edwards continued to compete in the USAC Series in 2002, making eight starts. He also ran seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck races for MB Motorsports, where he earned a top-10 finish at Kansas. He also captured the 2002 Baby Grand National Championship.
In 2003, the Columbia, Mo. native joined Roush Fenway Racing to drive the No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He had an amazing rookie season, capturing three wins, one pole, 13 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes and the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year award. He finished the season eighth in the point standings. Edwards kicked off the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck season with a bang by winning the season-opener at Daytona. He followed that up with a win at Kansas in July and captured a third win at Bristol. In August, Edwards got the nod from Jack Roush to move up to the NEXTEL Cup Series to finish the season in the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Taurus, as well as the remaining races on the truck schedule. Edwards made his debut in the Cup car at Michigan bringing home a 10th place finish. Edwards joined Matt Kenseth, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte and Kyle Petty as one of only five active NEXTEL Cup drivers to finish inside the top-10 in their first career Cup start. Edwards went on to finish fourth in the overall Craftsman Truck Series standings while recording five top-10 finishes in his 13 NEXTEL Cup starts, including a third-place effort at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In 2005 Edwards conquered both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series full-time. Edwards was once again named Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year, this time in the Busch Series, while taking home five wins, four poles, 15 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in 34 starts. Edwards also led 525 total laps in the No. 60 Charter Ford and finished third in the overall point standings.
Edwards made a big impression on fans, media and competitors alike when he took to the track in 2005 in NEXTEL Cup Series. Edwards accrued four wins, 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes while finishing third in the overall point standings and giving champion Tony Stewart a run for his money. (Edwards technically tied for second with teammate Greg Biffle, just 35 points behind first, but with six race wins Biffle took second.) Edwards set numerous records in the No. 99 Ford winning his first Cup and Busch race at Atlanta in March becoming the only driver in history to achieve that feat. Edwards went on to sweep both Cup races at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a track first. For win number two in the Cup Series, Edwards amazed fans when he won at the first Pocono race becoming only the second driver to win in his first visit to the tri-oval. Richard Petty was the first as he won the inaugural Cup race there. Then in November, Edwards once again made his mark in history becoming the first driver to win at Texas Motor Speedway under the lights in the inaugural Dickie's 500. Truly a Cinderella year for the rookie driver.
While running his second full schedule in both the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series, the 2006 season proved to be one of Edwards' biggest challenges. After a sluggish start in the Cup Series he rebounded and completed the season with a very strong finish. While in contention for 11th place in the points, Edwards finished in the top-10 in seven of his last 10 races, finishing the season with 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. This was an outstanding rebound that enabled Edwards to finish 12th overall in the NEXTEL Cup point standings. On the Busch side, Edwards had a great run with rookie crew chief Pierre Kuettel in the No. 60 Ameriquest Ford Fusion. Edwards moved up one spot from 2005 and finished second in the overall Busch Series standings with a phenomenal record that included four wins, three poles, 15 top-5 and 25 top-10 finishes.
Heading into the 2007 season Edwards was deemed a top contender in both the Busch and NEXTEL Cup Series. Edwards' consistency and dedication kept him atop the leader board for 33-consecutive weeks in the Busch Series. Edwards, with crew chief Pierre Kuettel by his side, claimed four wins, 15 top five and 21 top 10 finishes in the No. 60 Scotts Ford on his way to claiming his first career NASCAR title. Edwards won the Busch Series drivers championship by 618 points and his title marked the second Busch Series championship for Roush Fenway Racing and the final championship under the Busch colors as the series becomes the Nationwide Series in 2008.
For the second time in three years Edwards made the "Chase" in the NEXTEL Cup Series. Edwards showed consistency all year but a competitive field forced Edwards and the No. 99 Office Depot team to fight for every spot on the track. On his way to a ninth place finish in the point standings, Edwards chalked up three wins, 11 top five and 15 top 10 finishes in addition to claiming one pole which places him in the 2008 Shootout at Daytona in February. Edwards looks ahead to the 2008 season where he will once again tackle both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series' full-time.
When he's not on-track, Edwards enjoys spending time in Columbia, Missouri with his family and friends. Edwards enjoys riding motorcycles, working out and reading. He is also passionate about his philanthropic activities which include working with charities such as Dream Factory and Victory Junction Gang Camp.
