“I wasn’t born on third base. I was about two steps from home.” This is Carl Edwards reflecting on his privilege entering NASCAR. It is popular knowledge that Edwards is the cousin of NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader. After all, his nickname was ‘Cousin Carl’. However, the impact of this relationship on Edwards’ career is understated.

Edwards enjoyed a 15-year career across NASCAR’s three national series, picking up 72 wins, each accompanied by an iconic backflip. From his near-misses on two Cup Series Championships to his two Xfinity Championship triumphs, Edwards was a cult hero of sorts. Despite driving for powerhouses like Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Racing, his luck always seemed to disappear when it mattered most. However, his seat at the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a testament to how talented he was. Recently, in an interview with Gates Garcia, he opened up on the influence of his cousin, Ken Schrader, on his journey as a driver.

Carl Edwards considered exploiting his family connection to Ken Schrader

When Carl Edwards got wrecked out of the final race while leading the championship with 10 laps to go, nobody expected him to call it quits. Yet, that was the last time we ever saw ‘Cousin Carl’ in a race car. Nine years later, he has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and the community has welcomed him back with open arms, much to his surprise. Edwards recalled his conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr. during his HoF introduction where he was “blown away” by the reception he got and Dale Jr. said, “Dude! We miss you! You don’t know how much it means to me.”

However, Edwards’ journey into the sport was one marked with a privilege he never fully realized at the time. Gates Garcia asked Edwards, “How close were you to not being the Carl Edwards that’s sitting in the chair today?” In a sport where nepotism is common but often disliked, Edwards showed immense gratitude for his privileges, acknowledging them for what they were. “My dad’s cousin is Kenny Schrader. He’s a NASCAR driver. I used to tell people, ‘I’m not born on third base.’ Was so proud, ‘I did all this work.’ Now I look back and I was right! I wasn’t born on third base, I was two steps from home. These pieces all fell in place.”

Carl Edwards feels that he wasn’t nearly as grateful as he should have been for the opportunities he got growing up. He shared a story of how he realized his racing dream as a teenager and then felt like Ken Schrader would now guide him to a NASCAR career. “First thing, Kenny Schrader. When I realized that, I was 15-16, I want to race, I just said, ‘Man! Can I just hang out with you [Ken Schrader]? I’m going to come down to your shop.’ He let me come to North Carolina, I lived in a little trailer outside the shop, traveled with the team. Thought I’ll do this for a couple of months, he’ll put me in a race car. My career will take off.” Sensing an entitled teenager in these comments? A stark difference from the Edwards we all know and love today, and it was Ken Schrader who gave him a reality check.

Edwards continued, “Finally after a month of work, I got him to let me sit in his office, tell him my plan. He said, ‘This is not going to work, man. You need to go home, be a dentist or something. Do not race, it’s impossible.’ I said, ‘I got a plan, you’re going to put me in this car.’ He said ‘No, that’s not what’s happening. You really want to be a race car driver, you need to go back home, you need to race.'” This is what changed his perspective on his career.

He could have easily been handed a seat and raced in the lower tiers with less-than-desirable results. However, as Edwards said, “I was given not a handout, really a hand-up”. Edwards worked his way through the ranks, winning local dirt races and even pursued college, attending the University of Missouri for three semesters. However, it was then that he realized his passion for racing.

Eventually, the big break came with a 2002 NASCAR Truck Series debut with MB Motorsports. Three years later he made his full-time debut with Roush Racing in the Xfinity Series and has not looked back ever since. In that debut season, he finished 3rd in the championship, behind Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer. Edwards then improved further in 2006, finishing 2nd behind Kevin Harvick. Finally, his moment to shine arrived in 2007 when he clinched the Xfinity Series title, beating David Reutimann and Jason Leffler. However, his journey into the Truck Series involved one more heartbreak.

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Edwards was never a quitter

In conversation with Garcia, he recalled an incident that changed his life. At the time, he was working for Truck Series team owner Mike Mittler at MB Motorsports. Carl Edwards knew that this was his chance because this was the closest he was going to get to the NASCAR level. So he kept driving to the team’s shop every day, working as a volunteer. Then tragedy struck the team.

In 2000 at Texas Motor Speedway, MB Motorsports driver Tony Roper was involved in a horrific accident that saw his car get right rear hooked into the, then concrete, wall. This led to a neck injury, preventing blood flow to his brain, and he ultimately passed away a day after the race. Edwards recalled what followed, saying, “The team decided they were gonna continue running. And I was gonna get this opportunity… One night before the season started I remember Mike Mittler did not come down to work on the truck… I went and knocked on his door… Mike said, ‘Meet our new driver, Larry Gunsleman.”

Edwards was devastated. His family had put their life savings into buying a racecar, and he felt like this was the best opportunity for him. Edwards used to hand out business cards on the track and get laughed at, and in that moment, he felt that everyone laughing at him was right. For a split second, Carl Edwards counted himself out. However, he didn’t stay down for long.

“I got back up… I’m gonna support this team and we’ll see what happens. Fast forward about eight months later, I actually got the opportunity to get in that Truck.” Larry Gunsleman drove the Truck for the 2001 season and then after sponsor conflicts in 2002, he was replaced by Carl Edwards. This is a story not only of redemption but of perseverance and hard work. Edwards faced adversity but smiled in the face of it. He knew that being able to work on a team itself was a huge opportunity. And when he eventually got his ride, he proceeded to make everyone who cheered him on prouder than ever.

Now he can look back at his career in satisfaction that he entered the right way and left at a time when he felt he wanted to focus on his family. Despite never claiming the Cup Series Championship, Edwards will always be revered for his attitude in the car, and most importantly, the person he was outside of it.