Carl Edwards will not race in 2017 to pursue other interests

Carl Edwards, the 37-year-old driver who was only ten laps from a NASCAR championship just two months ago, will be retiring effective immediately, and will not race in 2017, according to a report in Fox Sports. The report, citing multiple sources and backed up with corroborating reports, indicates that Edwards will retire to pursue interests outside of racing.

Joe Gibbs Racing will hold a press conference Wednesday, at which it is expected to announce that Daniel Suarez, the reigning Xfinity Cup champion, will take over Edwards’ seat in the No. 19 Arris Toyota.

Edwards is one of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR never to have won a championship, and was on the losing end of two of the most tense finishes in the sport’s history. In 2011, he tied Tony Stewart in points at the conclusion of the season’s final race, but lost on a tiebreaker. Then, just two months ago, he was dominating the winner-take-all Homestead race when he wrecked with just 10 laps remaining, giving Jimmie Johnson the opening to win a seventh title. Edwards handled that loss with dignity; perhaps he knew even then that this would be his final turn in a Cup car.

Edwards broke into NASCAR’s top series in 2004 when he began driving the No. 99 for Roush Fenway. He jumped to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015. Over 445 starts, Edwards won 28 races and 22 poles, placing in the top 10 in almost exactly half (220) of his races. He finished in the top 10 in eight of his 12 full seasons behind the wheel.

As for what’s next for Edwards: that’s a mystery, too. He’s won acclaim for his performance behind a microphone, and could slide into a broadcasting job with no problem whatsoever. While always one of the most quotable and thoughtful drivers in interviews, he’s also intensely private, and does not offer the view of his life on Twitter and other social media that other drivers do. For now, the NASCAR world will have to wait and see where Edwards backflips next.
____
Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.