HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. _ Carl Edwards made it official Wednesday morning. He is back-flipping into the next phase of his life, leaving NASCAR and untold millions behind to land ... well ... where exactly?
Edwards, 37, was unclear about that. He mentioned television broadcasting as a possibility. He didn't discount running for political office. He talked fondly about flying planes and farming (he and his family live on a huge spread in Missouri). He also said he wasn't going to use the "R" word _ and indeed he never said he was actually retiring Wednesday, only that he was stepping away from full-time Cup racing.
Edwards said he had three reasons for his departure: He said he was "personally satisfied" with his career, that the time commitment of Cup racing was incredibly grueling and that he was "100 percent healthy" and wanted to stay that way.
"I'm a sharp guy," Edwards said, "and I want to be a sharp guy in 30 years."
He is a sharp guy, for sure. Edwards is also a shiny surface, one that reflects all light and is very hard to penetrate. He is affable, handsome and very self-aware in front of microphones. He knows reporters' names and can talk around things he doesn't want to talk about (his wife, his children, his exact future plans) with the expertness of a seasoned politician.
Edwards has always been a gracious, glib, guarded star. He has always been hard to read _ Tony Stewart once referred to Edwards as "the Eddie Haskell of NASCAR."
Edwards drove a race car fluently enough to win 28 Cup races, celebrating most with a post-race backflip off the top of his car. He said all that was plenty enough for him.
Said Edwards: "Now you're thinking, 'Well, you don't have a championship.' ... But I don't race for trophies."
