This has been a pretty good week for Carl Edwards. After months of speculation linking the No. 99 Roush Fenway superstar to a new, fourth Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup team it was announced that Edwards had signed a multi-year contract to remain with Jack Roush, Ford and the many solid, can?t afford to lose ?em sponsors that are so heavily engaged, invested and happy with the back flipping superstar. And this past Tuesday evening, the Boone County Commission gave its initial approval to Edward?s permit request to build and operate a private runway at his home just east of Columbia, Missouri. I?d say these are definitely good times for Carl.
His own airstrip. In the old days it was which driver or team owner had the better motor coach; until I read about Edward?s runway I thought NASCAR one-upsmanship had pretty much peaked at who?s got the better airplane or helicopter. I stand corrected. And it must?ve been one hell of a contract. My buddies and I regularly congregate at a local watering hole called the Darkhorse to watch, pontificate and pundit about racing and I was the only one with enough confidence to wager a cold beverage way back in June that Carl was sticking with the Cat in the Hat. I plan to collect this weekend when we gather to watch the Iowa and/or Pocono races. Because Carl Edwards and Jack Roush were meant for each other; their relationship is practical, semi-paternal, mutually beneficial, fulfilling and profitable. Carl Edwards in a Toyota? The skinny kid from America?s heartland who got his start with Michigander Roush in the truck series, won a Nationwide championship with him and now leads the 2011 Sprint Cup standings, racing for a Japanese manufacturer? Jack Roush is on lots of records regarding his feelings about Japanese manufacturers in NASCAR and buying American. One popular story tells of him paying one employee in yen after he saw said worker?s small Japanese pickup truck in the Roush Racing parking lot. I just can?t believe Edwards would do that to Roush, not after the chance Jack gave him and the history and success they?ve shared racing and winning with Fords. And they both love to fly. By now everyone knows about Jack Roush?s exploits and perilous adventures whist freed from these earthly bounds in various vintage and modern aircraft. He?s escaped death twice, the last incident costing him an eye and another of his nine lives. Carl Edwards has been flying since he was 17. Like many drivers with planes his business expense Piper Meridian is used to travel back and forth to races, the Roush Fenway complex in Charlotte, sponsor obligations and other personal appearances. He?s also into stunt flying. These guys are just too right for each other. And right now there is so much momentum on their side. After 12 years of trying Roush won five championships from 2000 through 2007; the first in trucks with Greg Biffle, the next in the Nationwide series from Biffle (2002) before two Sprint Cup titles from Matt Kenseth (2003) and Kurt Busch.(2004). Edwards? 2007 NNS championship was Roush Fenway?s last and from 2008 through last season there was nothing but dashed hopes, disappointment, disasters and too many DNFs. But this year the pendulum has finally swung back again. Edwards, Kenseth and David Ragan each have a win with Carl at the top of the Cup series leaderboard, Matt in fifth place and the No. 6 UPS driver in 16th with a decent-at-least chance to make the Chase thanks to his Daytona victory in July. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is leading the Nationwide standings and the factory Ford team from Concord seems to have the ?new? FR9 engine (introduced in 2009) and their Fusion and Mustang Cup and NNS cars finally figured out and fully developed. Confidence is high for Carl earning his first and certainly not last sterling silver NASCAR Sprint Cup trophy from Tiffany & Co. when the 2011 end with Ford Championship weekend at Homestead-Miami.
In fact the only thing that's cast any real doubt about Carl's chances to finally win it all has been the impending departure rumor mill.
So I ask you. Seriously. How on earth could Roush Fenway and Ford even think about letting their premier driver in America?s most popular racing series, a handsome, buff young stud who was on the cover of ESPN The Magazine with his shirt off, who is on the President?s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, who presents himself as a humble, God-fearing family man that just wants to win races more than anything else, leave to sign with a Toyota team? That would be like the Boston Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Whoops. Bad example. No, I knew deep down inside that Edwards was going to stick with Roush Fenway and unless the organization?s wheels totally fall off, or unless he finds himself driving a car sponsored by a male performance enhancing drug, I believe Carl will remain with RFR and Ford for a long, long time.
Heck, I'll bet a cold beverage on it.
Read More of Bill Tybur at his website: https://fmfl.net
No comments:
Post a Comment