Carl Edwards’ retirement from NASCAR racing was odd. A driver in his prime, who probably had enough in his tank suddenly hung up his boots from racing. We all know that he wanted to prioritize spending time with his family and took a sabbatical from the sport. But, his fans and the NASCAR community made sure, he remembered the sport and made a return. Next thing you know they started trolling the driver with memes, labeling him as Adam from the Amish community. This was their way of getting Edwards back to racing or reconnecting with NASCAR.
Well, he did return to NASCAR with his being inducted into the Hall of Fame and being named in the 75 Greatest Driver’s list. The former JGR driver did keep a tab on all the memes and jokes posted about him on social media. He opened up on what his life was like away from the racetrack and also acknowledged that he sort of adapted to the Amish culture.
Carl Edwards buckles up from horse rides to the new-gen cars
Carl Edwards reflected on the life he led post-retirement on the simplicity of being a guardian for his loved ones and community with hope. “The first thing is trying to be a good husband and father. I feel like the more I live the more I am completely blessed with my family. I am trying to do that for my kids to get them on the right trajectory. We did a little bit of boating around the world. That’s been pretty cool. Crossing the Atlantic twice was very interesting and I found out how bad of a farmer I am. There’s this whole Amish Carl meme going on. I am not completely Amish, but yes I have become more in touch with the land,” He said this on MRN’s NASCAR Live podcast.
Edwards stepped away from NASCAR at arguably the height of his career. Many believed that the constant setback of losing out on NASCAR glory forced him into retirement. He lost to Tony Stewart on a tiebreaker in 2011, the second time in his career he was runner-up. The first heartbreak took place in 2008 when the championship wasn’t decided by an all-or-nothing final race among 4 drivers. After the missed opportunities of 2008 and 2011, Edwards looked to be in charge and on his way to championship glory in 2016 at Miami Homestead. But during the late-race restart, Joey Logano was fed up with the defensive tactics of the #19 car and hooked him. Edwards had to settle for a P34 finish as he saw Jimmie Johnson lift his seventh Cup Series title.
However, the primary reason for the legendary driver to leave the sport was to fill his shoes in the most important aspects of his life aside from the racing world. Expressing his duties towards his family as a father and husband and carrying the weight was solely his responsibility nobody else can, unlike the driver’s seat in the car. He not only spent time with his growing family but would pop up in occasional news reports helping people in his community or as a private pilot, he’s had his pilot’s license since high school, to deliver aid or some other beneficial service.
“And then I got to probably one of the most impactful things that have happened is I got to meet these guys from Gideon rescue company in Oklahoma and I traveled a bunch with them and they go around after these disasters and deliver and I thought after a disaster you’d wanna deliver food water generators stuff like that and they go and deliver hope and I thought man these guys are crazy and that has been really impactful for me to see there are great people out there doing great things and you know on that note the NASCAR community is on the forefront of that. So being able to continue that with the Gideon rescue has been pretty cool.” Edwards explained further on the show.
Associated with the volunteer group Operation Airdrop, Edwards is leveraging his influence and resources to bring aid to the region. Operation Airdrop uses planes and pilots to deliver necessary supplies directly to affected areas, ensuring that all funds are dedicated to the recovery. Edwards’ work with Operation Airdrop once again proved his dedication to giving back to a community that has supported his illustrious career.
The veteran driver had his reason for detaching himself away from the sport that he was so passionate about. And given his leave of absence, Edwards wasn’t sure if he would be welcomed back into the racing community. Little did he know that his name was going to be etched in the history books with his HOF induction.
Humble hero of the people enters the Hall of Fame as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers
His return to the NASCAR world began two years ago at Darlington Raceway, rejoining the fraternity upon being named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, part of a yearlong celebration of the sport’s 75th anniversary. But while it was a moment of celebration, there was also a moment of contemplation. Edwards spent much if not all of his career in solitude. He was not one to make friends with the men and women he raced against. All he concerned himself with was being the best driver on the track. In large part, that played in his favor statistically. But Edwards regrets that mindset years later.
The reward for his family’s sacrifices is now bestowed upon Edwards for life as a NASCAR Hall of Famer.“When I got invited back to Darlington, I was nervous to go. You can ask my wife, the most surprising thing is the realization that I can’t separate my life from this sport, and I did. I walked away eight years ago. I turned my back, and I walked out of the room, and it was scary. And over the last eight years, I felt odd about that. But for NASCAR to welcome me back, it’s made me realize that this sport, is a part of me. It’s who I am. It’s a part of my family,” Edwards said during his speech in the Hall of Fame’s Grand Hall.
Eight years after his abrupt decision to step away from the NASCAR Cup Series competition, Edwards is still pinching himself, cherishing the honor and the support he’s received from the community.
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