“I Escaped”: Carl Edwards Breaks Years of Silence to Unwind His Shocking NASCAR Exit

Nobody was ready to watch Carl Edwards retire at 37. He had one whole year left on his Joe Gibbs Racing contract, which was originally intended for three seasons. During a time when NASCAR boasted an abundance of championship-winning stars such as the Jimmie Johnsons and the Jeff Gordons of NASCAR, Edwards would shine brighter than most without a single Bill France Cup to his name.

However, the biggest mystery surrounding Ken Schrader’s ‘Cousin Carl’ has not been his lack of a championship. Nor has it been the fact that the former high school substitute teacher from Missouri is also the great-great-great-grandson of the 19th President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, although it was Carl Edwards himself who revealed it during his visit to the USS Constitution Museum in 2016.

What intrigues most people about Carl Edwards is his short NASCAR career and his untimely retirement after wrecking out of championship contention in the last race of the 2016 season. Eight years and many lost accolades later, one of the sport’s most exciting drivers has come clean about his sudden departure. What did he have to say?

Carl Edwards “escaped” at his peak!

Carl Edwards’ return has been on fans’ minds since he hung up his helmet with 72 career race wins across all three NASCAR national touring series. Currently, at only 44 years of age, the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver is the same age as his then-teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, both barely a few years apart from their 20th full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Recent developments from the tight-lipped superstar have revealed a bigger picture. Jeff Gluck of The Athletic recently updated fans on X about a conversation members of the press had with him. According to Gluck, the call was being moderated by NASCAR’s Rhianne Mitchell, who was one of the biggest fans of Edwards growing up.

Gluck tweeted, “On this call, Carl Edwards has been asked about how he left — specifically, the caution at the end of the 2016 championship race that cost him the title.” Carl Edwards assures fans that he “did not leave the sport because of the way 2016 ended. Period.” Instead, he gave three reasons for his exit, as reported by Gluck.

1. “I needed time.” Says he needed a clean break to devote more time to his family and be a better husband and father.
2. “I had accomplished all I needed to accomplish in the sport for me.”
3. “It’s really a risky sport. I escaped without any lasting injuries.” Cited not wanting to risk head injuries.”

The Missouri native started as a dirt track racer, courtesy of advice from his first cousin, Ken Schrader. In 2005, Edwards got his first full-time start in the Nextel Cup Series, driving the #99 Ford for Roush Racing. That year, he also made his full-time Busch Series debut, now known as the Xfinity Series, for Jack Roush’s race team behind the wheel of his second-tier #60 entry. Edwards would win five races that season, kicking it all off with a double-header victory at Atlanta in March. Two years later, he would win his first, and his race team’s second, Xfinity Series championship. The next year, the #99 finished runner-up in the chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

From the get-go, it appeared the former high school substitute teacher was destined for greatness, and he proved that with 28 premier-tier victories split across glorious stints with Roush and JGR. And with those came Edwards’ signature backflip celebration, endearing himself to fans through highlights across decades.

After over a decade of top-division heartbreak, he would walk away from the sport following this incident during the off-season without letting too much information slip through to audiences. It is important to note that there were no calls for health concerns, but despite the occasional rumor of a one-off return, Edwards has since told the media, “I don’t like how it feels to take the hits we take. I’m a sharp guy. I want to be sharp in 30 years.”

Edwards’ mission towards leading a healthy and athletic lifestyle has been long documented. Some might remember when Brad Keselowski flipped the hobbyist long-distance runner and biker out of a victory at Talladega on the final lap, resulting in Edwards calmly jogging across the finish line in the true spirit of sports in general.

Additionally, his wife, Katherine, specializes in neurological rehabilitation. But with the news of a future confirmed Hall of Fame induction ringing in his ears, those extra years of fitness training and his significant other’s due guidance will certainly serve Edwards well in his later years.

Carl Edwards’s induction into the 2025 Hall of Fame!

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Last year, NASCAR named Edwards to their prestigious list of the 75 Greatest Drivers. This past Tuesday, the announcement came that Carl Edwards would receive his due induction into the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame alongside fellow racing legends, including Ralph Moody, a five-time race winner and co-owner of the defunct Holman-Moody Racing team, and Ricky Rudd, the driver with the most Cup Series starts (906) in the modern era.

Rudd and Edwards’ careers have been somewhat similar in the sense that neither of them has been able to win a Premier Series championship in their respective careers through varying decades. Even Rudd received his past-due place on the 75 Greatest Drivers’ list alongside his 2025 Hall of Fame classmate last year.

When speaking about the noticeable difference that separates both of these drivers—their years—Rudd explained to the Kansas City Star, “To me, a NASCAR Hall of Famer is about your numbers, but it’s about your contribution to the sport as well. Carl Edwards, not only did he do a phenomenal job behind the wheel of that race car, but he did a phenomenal job outside the race car, about being a great ambassador for the sport. The whole time Carl was part of NASCAR, he was a great ambassador.”

Regardless, Carl Edwards had hinted multiple times about a return to the Cup Series even as early as last year, although he told NASCAR.com earlier that he does not plan on doing any driving. However, an opportunity in broadcasting is something he finds intriguing. Though he had already graced the broadcasting booth previously, fans would surely want to see him do so once again.