Drivers

Carl Edwards

Birth date: August 15, 1979
Birthplace: Columbia, Mo.
Residence: Columbia, Mo.
Website: www.carledwards.com

Carl Edwards has quickly established himself as one of the most consistent and competitive drivers on the NASCAR circuit, amassing 47 NASCAR race wins and a Nationwide Series championship in just five seasons of competition.

The son of a Midwestern track legend, Edwards began driving four-cylinder cars in 1993 at the age of 13. Over the next decade he racked up two NASCAR-sanctioned track championships, three Rookie-of-the-Year honors, and more than 75 feature wins on dirt and pavement tracks across the country.

He joined Roush Fenway Racing in 2003 to drive the No. 99 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, making an immediate splash by capturing three wins, 13 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes – and the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year award. 

Following another successful Truck Series campaign in ‘04, Edwards moved up to driving cars full-time in 2005. He was once again named Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year, this time in the Nationwide Series, after tallying five wins and leading 525 total laps in the No. 60 Ford to finish third in points.

But it was his performance in the Sprint Cup Series that grabbed the attention of the racing world. With four wins along with13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes in the No. 99 Ford, he finished third in points and gave champion Tony Stewart a run for his money. Among other highlights, he scored his first-ever Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series wins on consecutive days at Atlanta Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver in track history to win both races in the same weekend. He was also the first driver in NASCAR history to win his first career Nationwide and Sprint Cup races in the same weekend. (He went on to sweep the two Cup races at Atlanta, another track first.) 

Despite a tough start to the 2006 Cup season, Edwards finished in the top-10 in seven of his last 10 races to rank 12th in the final point standings. Meanwhile, he had another stellar run in the Nationwide Series, finishing second in points with four wins and three poles along with 15 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes. 

In 2007 Edwards stayed atop the Nationwide Series leader board for 33 consecutive weeks on his way to claiming his first career NASCAR title. He also qualified for the ’07 Sprint Cup “Chase,” ultimately finishing ninth in the point standings. 

Edwards once again qualified for the Chase in 2008, this time winning three of the last four races to keep his championship hopes alive until the last race of the year before narrowly losing to Jimmie Johnson by 69 points. In claiming the second-place spot, he chalked up a personal-high nine Cup wins (more than any other Sprint Cup driver that season). He also finished second in the 2008 Nationwide Series, just 21 points behind series leader Clint Bowyer. Edwards topped off 2008 by winning the Tag Heuer Top Racecar Driver of the Year Award and the National Motorsports Press Association’s Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award. He was also NASCAR.com’s choice for 2008 Driver of the Year.

Edwards had yet another excellent Nationwide Series campaign in ‘09, with five wins along with 23 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes (both career bests) to once again finish second overall in points. He drove consistently well in the Sprint Cup Series and once again made the Chase, finishing 11th in the overall point standings. In 2010, Edwards will embark on his sixth season of duel competition racing full-time in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series looking to win duel championships.

When he’s not on the track, Edwards enjoys spending time in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, with his family and friends. He enjoys riding motorcycles, working out and reading. He’s also passionate about his philanthropic activities, working with charities such as Speedway Children’s Charities, Dream Factory and Victory Junction Gang Camp.