CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carl Edwards says he by no means anticipated to be inducted into the NASCAR Corridor of Fame so when the announcement got here down per week in the past, he was unreachable for hours till his spouse inspired him to verify his cellphone.

He was shocked to study that he was becoming a member of Ricky Rudd because the 2025 inductees. 9 days later, he stated stays overwhelmed by the popularity; Edwards stated he left a Bass Professional Retailers in Missouri early Thursday and was greeted by a fan congratulating him.

Edwards received 28 races over 13 Cup Sequence seasons, one other 38 races within the Xfinity Sequence and 6 Truck Sequence races. He received one Xfinity title and completed second 4 different instances.

The one factor lacking from his resume is a Cup title, which is a little bit of a hot-button subject.

Edwards twice completed second within the standings and misplaced the 2011 title to Tony Stewart on a tie-breaker however it’s the 2016 NASCAR finale that may eternally be a sore spot.

Edwards was in command of the winner-take-all race at Homestead-Miami Speedway till a questionable warning was known as with 4 laps remaining. It arrange a late two-lap dash to the end and Edwards wrecked on the restart racing Joey Logano for the win.

Lower than two months later, he abruptly retired at 36 and basically vanished. His first large look was a yr in the past at Darlington Raceway, the place Edwards confirmed as much as be honored as one of many high 75 drivers in NASCAR historical past.

In his first feedback since he was elected to the Corridor of Fame final week, Edwards stated on the time of the 2016 finale he was struggling balancing his job along with his life as a married father of two. Those that know him properly stated he was left bitter by a warning that price him the title and it was the explanation he walked away.

“Positively, I’d have reasonably not have had a warning come out,” Edwards stated Thursday. “However, you by no means know the end result of that and like I’ve stated, I would not change a factor.”

Edwards then paused to gather his ideas.

“I believe issues would have been so much totally different if we received that championship,” he stated.

Reflecting on the Previous

Eight years later, Edwards has accepted the end result and the way NASCAR officiated the race.

“NASCAR is within the enterprise of making a sport for the followers,” Edwards stated. “And I do know from personal conversations I’ve had that NASCAR is making an attempt their greatest, and I respect that. The result at numerous factors of my profession, and that race particularly, I didn’t prefer it. However I 100% respect the game and the those who run it. It gave me a life and alternatives that I by no means might have imagined.”

He insisted the end result of that race didn’t result in his retirement.

“So far as being an impetus for my stepping away, I will go proper again to what I stated once I did, and I stated it clearly, however perhaps not clearly sufficient: I simply wanted time,” Edwards stated. “I awakened and I spotted, on the finish of my profession, I am not spending time doing something aside from racing.”

In the course of the Corridor of Fame voting session, one Edwards supporter argued that he had been robbed of a championship by a bogus warning. The 2011 championship he misplaced to Stewart wasn’t talked about, although that was additionally questionable: Edwards drove a Ford on the time and Stewart drove a Chevrolet and there got here a time within the race when it appeared the Chevys, which far outnumbered the Fords within the discipline, have been transferring out of Stewart’s strategy to enable him to beat Edwards for the title.

Requested by The Related Press on Thursday if he felt wronged or cheated in 2016, Edwards rigorously selected his phrases.

“I’d similar to to say that I formally respect the best way NASCAR runs the game in the best way they should run it. I do not need to say something adverse,” he stated. However he then added, “I’ll have been unclear, and I need to be specific, that I didn’t depart the game due to the best way 2016 ended. Interval.”

Life After Racing

Now 44 and dwelling in his residence state of Missouri, Edwards focuses on being a father and a husband to his doctor spouse. He stated he has no plans to ever race a Cup automotive once more.

“I respect an excessive amount of what it takes to be nice,” Edwards stated. “I lived that life every single day for 20 years and my concept of enjoyable is not doing one thing simply to do it. I need to be nice at one thing and it could be disrespectful to everybody that’s striving to be nice to go do it only for enjoyable.”

He stated he fills his aggressive nature with journey – he sailed from Florida to Italy because the boat’s captain – and has taken up jujitsu. He is additionally a pilot.

Edwards has additionally concerned himself in neighborhood work and has popped up in Missouri information segments serving to out after twister strikes. He’s talked about as a possible Republican candidate for public workplace, one thing he did not rule out Thursday.

“There is no place on earth or in time the place a man can do what me and all of us have gotten to do aside from the USA of America. The longer I dwell, the extra I’ve realized this isn’t the norm,” Edwards stated. “We’ve to guard this. So when politics come up, it comes from a spot inside me that cares a lot about how nice this nation is. Some day, most likely after my youngsters are grown up, if I can take part in that extra, I need to.

“And in order that dialog, that chance and that risk, is all the time on the desk.”