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Carl Edwards won 28 races in his NASCAR Cup Series career. He was one of the most successful and popular drivers of his era and raced for a pair of the series most iconic team. Just last month, Edwards took his rightful place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
But there is one notable omission from Edwards’ resume: a NASCAR Cup Series champion. Three times Edwards came painfully close to winning the biggest prize in NASCAR. In 2008, he finished second in the points behind eventual champion Jimmie Johnson. Three years later, Edwards lost the 2011 series championship in excruciating fashion on a tiebreaker to Tony Stewart.
But it was one moment in particular, in 2016, that brought an end Edwards’ racing career and completely changed his outlook on the sport. Edwards, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson were in the final four at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Edwards controlled most of the race, but a late caution flag led to restart with 10 laps remaining. On that restart, Logano got a great jump and pulled out to pass Edwards, who went to block. Unfortunately for Edwards, the block came too late and he wrecked both he and Logano, ending their championship hopes.
Edwards retired before the start of the 2017 season and has not raced in NASCAR since. This week, he sat down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. of the Dale Jr. Download podcast and made a somewhat surprising admission about that decision.
2016 really broke Carl Edwards
He couldn’t sell himself on working another year in 2017 just to have it come down to another restart. pic.twitter.com/csf1in6P2x
— BrakeHard (@BrakeHardBlog) March 12, 2025
Carl Edwards Says NASCAR Playoff Format Made It Difficult For Him To Come Back
“I wanted to win that championship. It’s everything I’ve worked for it. That’s it.That’s the prize you want more than anything in the world. And yes, I believe that was snatched (from me),” Edwards told Earnhardt Jr. “…I’m going to put everything in my life second. And I am gonna go start at Daytona and I’m gonna drive the hell out of this race car like I’ve been doing for 13/14 years and I’m gonna run this thing all the way to the end and give everything I’ve got, another year of my life … and then I’m gonna get to Homestead at the end of 2017, I’m gonna do everything just right and they’re gonna throw a caution with five (laps) to go and we’re gonna put all this on a restart?”
Now, Edwards’ emotions are valid. It is hard to lose a championship that way, let alone after already losing two previous championships in close fashion. And the NASCAR playoffs do lend themselves to being strong at the end of the season.
But that is also sports. The best athletes and best champions rise to those moments. They win because they execute at their best in those moments. It’s why Logano is now a three-time champion who many believe will win more. Edwards retired at 37, which is young by NASCAR standards. Maybe there would’ve been a championship in his future had he not. But given his mindset, it would’ve been difficult to imagine things ever going differently in the championship race.