Carl Edwards, who in November came agonizingly close to winning his first Nascar premier series title before a late-race crash in the season finale, is expected to announce Wednesday that he will retire immediately, according to multiple sources.
Fox Sports’ website was first to report the news of the 37-year-old driver’s shock decision.
Joe Gibbs Racing has called for a news conference on Wednesday in which Edwards is expected to announce he will not drive the No19 Toyota next season after 13 years in Nascar’s top circuit.
Daniel Suárez is expected to replace Edwards in the Cup Series. The Mexico native, who became the Nascar’s first foreign-born driver to win a national series title when he captured the secondary Xfinity title in November, will join Kyle Larson as the only two drivers from the organization’s diversity program to race in the top flight.
“This is comparable to Barry Sanders’ retirement back in 1999, shocking and with loads of ability and time left in a very successful career,” said Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage.
“I talked to Carl about a month ago and he didn’t give any indication that he was considering this,” Gossage added. “It is a shock that just doesn’t seem real.”
It was not immediately clear on Tuesday whether Edwards’ retirement is permanent or whether he would be taking a one-year break from competition. Spokespeople for both Fox Sports and NBC Sports told USA Today on Tuesday afternoon that Edwards would not be joining either network as a commentator.
Edwards was leading all championship contenders with 10 laps remaining at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November when a caution set up a restart that bunched the field. Edwards tried to block Joey Logano’s attempt to take the lead, and it caused a crash that ended Edwards’ title bid. The wreck left him with a fourth-place finish on the year.
Edwards twice finished second in the overall standings: first in 2008, when he won nine races but a late crash at Talladega Superspeedway handed the title to Jimmie Johnson, then in 2011, when he finished in a tie with Tony Stewart but lost a tie-breaker on race victories for the season.
The famously private Edwards, who first ascended to the Cup Series when he replaced Jeff Burton in the No99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in 2004, spent 13 years in Nascar’s top flight and recorded 28 race victories, 22 poles and 124 top-five finishes in 445 career starts.
