Here's Why Carl Edwards Left NASCAR Unexpectedly

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.)

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!

Carl Edwards was one terrific driver. Very sorry to see him leave NASCAR

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

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!

I think you hit the nail on the head so to speak Kenny. I've always wondered where Carl Edwards went or what happened to him later on. Nascar does have that tendency to play favorites or to make it where certain people get the glory, even if it means wrecking someone else's career. The amount of people in the stands at each track speaks for itself these days.

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!

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