Here's Why Carl Edwards Left NASCAR Unexpectedly

Kenny Wallace gives his opinion on why Carl Edwards unexpectedly retired after the 2016 NASCAR season.

#racing #KennyWallace #NASCAR #CarlEdwards

***thumbnail photo by Bob Leverone/NASCAR via Getty Images courtesy of NASCAR Media & Charlie Marlow

[bobbyshizz]

True NASCAR fans know how great Carl Edwards was. He and Mark Martin are my two all time favorites. Damn shame neither of them ever won a championship.

[USAF-SF]

In my humble opinion, NASCAR has done a great deal of damage to themselves with shenanigans just like this, and they are still doing it today in other forms of "rule changes". Get rid of the stages, stop extending yellows just so somebody can remain on the lead lap, and get rid of the "cookie cutter" cars that inhibit the innovations from the garage. The sport progressed through the years from the innovations of the teams and not the sanctioning body. Today's NASCAR is almost unwatchable!!!

[johnambro]

Carl was an old boy who played the game with honesty and grit, Nascar clowns took that away with short sighted rulings. A tough and classy guy to the end Carl calls it a day and walks away head held high. Cheers to you Mr. Edwards.

[kellykeenan]

Carl Edwards is such a class act. I cried as he gave his retirement announcement. His positive and respectful attitude, along with his wonderful smile always made my heart happy. He's missed every race day. I hope he reads these comments and he knows how many people love and miss him. He's truly a Champion in life!

[curtisbenton]

Plain and simple for me, I was/am a Carl Edwards fan so when he quit, it broke my heart and I quit with him. I haven’t been to or watched another nascar race since.
Carl is a champion in my eyes and one hell of a role model.

[gary]

There's a handful of drivers that give us the reasons to watch the sport, Carl is one of those drivers. I hope he's living a great life miss him.

[mixterx]

Carl flew into our facility one night. It was raining like crazy. He asked if he could nose the aircraft into the hangar because his family was in the aircraft. We pulled the aircraft into the hangar with everyone inside and let them all out. There were no passenger seats in the aircraft. Everyone was all in the floor in sleeping bags. We got the airplane unloaded and then put it back outside.
Super nice guy. Very polite and appreciative for our efforts to not put his family out in the rain.

[mariealbano]

You hit the nail on the head Kenny !! THATS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED !! 😢 I love how honest you are towards racing and the passion you have towards racing it's in your blood.

[raykasza]

I was working for Nascar as an inspector in the truck series when Carl Edwards won his first truck race in a Ford driving for Jack Roush. Carl was a great driver and had a great personality. I just knew he was going to do good racing in Nascar. I also was in Homestead the day Kenny Wallace is talking about. It disgusted me what Nascar did to tighten up the field to supposedly make the final laps to a championship exciting. Well, that day they messed up badly. Spoke with Carl after the race and he was broken hearted. I've never seen him in this state, very sad and not angry but pissed off in a sense he was robbed. I don't blame him, he was a good clean racer with a simple attitude. I miss him in the Cup series and I'm glad he got out before it got worse in Nascar. God Bless him and his family.

[porkchop]

I couldn't agree more Kenny, I became an Edwards fan in 2009 when he got put into the fence at Talladega and climbed from his car and ran to the finish line, I love his demeanor his driving style his personality it was all just awesome to me and I was absolutely crushed after the wreck that caused him the championship in 2016 probably the most devastating event for me as a fan to this day and in my heart I understood why he retired but just didn't want to believe it, I do and will continue to miss seeing Carl on track but I am glad he is happily retired and living his best life!

[richdiscoveries]

Win or lose, you have always been one of the happiest drivers on the track. God bless you, we need more people like that in this world

[scottkeenan]

Thank you for posting this. Carl Edwards was my favorite driver, a humble human being and a genuine nice person. My heart broke that day they threw the phantom. I still watch the sport because I grew up in upstate SC and it's in my blood. And it's one of the few good memories of my childhood with my father. I don't love nascar as much as I did before this happened and I haven't found or seen another driver with the passion and integrity that Carl had. This was wrong, he is missed and i hope he reads this and holds his head high knowing he's a champion in my heart. I'll never forget after the championship was taken from him he ran across pit road, to Loganos pit box, shook their hands and then faded Into obscurity. Mic drop moment and class act. Sadly, in this world we live in nice guys typically get stepped on. You shouldn't have to be vindictive and nasty human to be a winner. Thank you Carl. For what you did for the sport and humanity!

[jk-krjt]

Carl was a great driver and a true spokesman for the sport. Ever since his truck days he fired up the sport. Nascar needs more like him. Hope he's living a great life. Kenny you have always been a personality we need more of. Keep it up brother.
Cheers Jeff

[DennyBell-bppb]

Carl was my favorite driver 100%. Not because he was a great driver but because he was even a better person and roll model for any young fan. The day he retired is the day I said enough of NASCAR! I very seldom watch any more.

[AcousticOne]

Even if Carl wasn’t your “DRIVER” you really liked and respected him as a GREAT driver…miss him and the ICONIC BACKFLIP…thanks Kenny!

[robneathery]

Ya nailed it Herm! Carl was a driver that everybody liked

[kristenangier]

Carl would be a two time cup champ ('08, '11) under the traditional format. In addition to preserve his health and build more presence with his family, I think he had enough of the b.s. (nascar's constant changing points system screwed him out of two championships. When he finally is going to get one on his third try, he felt nascar took it away from him.)

[DillonWebb]

As a Carl Edwards fan I had the opportunity to finally meet him in Charlotte in 2015 it was my buddies first race Carl is a very humble guy and that's what made the heartbreak a whole lot worse a year later that man stood and talked with us for 15 min after the race just shooting the bull and signed our Hot Passes and actually handed me the sunglasses off his face it was an unbelievable experience

[matk]

I think you have hit the nail on the head my friend. I thought pretty much the same thing when he announced his retirement. That race was when my interest in NASCAR faded. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻🙃🙃

[anc]

I've always suspected that Carl was absolutely heartbroken after losing those 2 Championships that should have been his. The wind was just sucked out of his sails. I don't blame him. The meddling of NASCAR, the points system and playoffs structure has huge potential to screw over the best-performing drivers each year. Look at Kevin Harvick - he had 9 wins, 20 top 5s and 27 top 10s in 2020, and in 2018 he had 8 wins, 23 top 5s and 29 top 10s but in both of those years he finished out of the final 4. I'm not a fan of the playoff structure at all and never will be.