MISSOURIAN EDWARDS “LIVES THE DREAM” WITH FIRST WIN AT KY.;
WANTS ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT AT GATEWAY IN RAM TOUGH 200
MADISON, Ill. (July 14) – Carl Edwards doesn’t pinch himself every five
minutes, though he’d like to. He doesn’t thank the Almighty every 30 seconds, though
that prayer does pop out of his lips with stunning frequency.
The 23-year-old NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year leader from
Columbia, Mo., starts almost every interview he gives these days with “I’m living the
dream.” He officially made it to Cloud 9 last Saturday night with his first series win at
Kentucky Speedway in the No. 99 Roush Racing Ford. And though it’s not nice to be
greedy, he’d love nothing better than to make it two wins this Saturday night at Gateway
International Raceway during the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200.
“Would that be the ultimate? I got my first win in late models on the dirt track in
Godfrey, Ill., five years ago” said Edwards, busy trying to find enough loose tickets for
all the friends and relatives that have magically re-appeared in his life the past few weeks,
looking for a way to see him on the 1.25-mile Gateway oval. “To race at Gateway was
just a dream then. To be with this team is a dream come true.”
The past month alone is a season to most drivers. He was runnerup at Texas, finished
fifth at Memphis, ran second to teammate Jon Wood at Kansas.
Then at Kentucky he came from the back of the field after having to change engines, and
beat veteran Ted Musgrave by more than three seconds. Edwards is in 10th spot in the
standings and the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year honors.
Despite a lack of sponsorship, Roush announced Tuesday that both Edwards and Wood
are set to run the rest of the season. “This is great news for everyone on the team,”
Edwards said. “After winning this weekend, I couldn’t imagine having to stop now. I’m
glad we can go on to Gateway this weekend and only have to worry about winning.”
Musgrave, a longtime Winston Cup driver and former Ram Tough champ was happy.
“That kid has paid his dues, and he’s a talented driver. You’re happy to see young talent
like that win, though I would’ve liked to give him a battle.”
In January, Edwards was eagerly awaiting his first full season with the Missouri-based
Mittler Brothers Racing team, moving closer to his degree at Missouri, and maybe even
doing a little more substitute teaching in the Columbia School system.
Then the Fairy Godmother hit, big time. Roush appeared set to sign Kyle Busch for their
Craftsman Truck Series program, only to have the 18-year-old back out at the last minute
for a contract with rival Hendrick Motorsports. Ten days before the NCTS race at
Daytona, Edwards got the call.
“To be in a truck that can contend every week, with a crew chief (Doug Richard) who’s
been in NASCAR longer than I’ve been alive, and a team like Roush Racing? It’s almost
unreal.”
After some promising qualifying efforts, and a fourth-place finish at Martinsville,
however, it got a bit too real after Edwards wrecked a pair of white 99s during the race
weekend in Dover. It prompted a highly instructive, sometimes blunt meeting with team
owner Jack Roush.
“He said, without a sponsor we can’t afford to keep replacing sheet metal, and told me I
had to work at keeping trucks in one piece if we wanted to keep racing,” Edwards said.
“Still, he taught me a lot in that session. He said ‘Look, you’ve got the power in your
hands, don’t squeeze it too tight. Get laps, and learn, the speed will come. That’s what
I’ve been trying to do, not forcing the issue but racing as hard as I can without going over
the edge. And the results have started to happen.”
Edwards gets along with his 21-year-old “veteran” teammate Wood, who is in his second
season with Roush. “We speak the same language,” Edwards said.
And they get regular chances to talk shop with Roush’s Winston Cup racers – points
leader Matt Kenseth, former NCTS champ Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and
Kurt Busch. “They all are accessible to us, and are genuinely interested in what we’re
doing. . . . just being around this atmosphere is just now starting to feel normal to me. For
a long time I couldn’t get it out of my head that, hey, I’m the kid who five years ago was
going to all the local dirt tracks, and now look.”
One of the things that has helped him make the transition, he said, was the six months he
spent late last year with Mittler Bros. (highlighted by the team’s first Top 10 finish in
Texas). “Mike Mittler ran a tight ship, just like they do here at Roush. That has helped me
a ton,” Edwards said.
Edwards is looking forward to another crack at Gateway, where he crashed in a 2001
USAC Silver Crown race, and was forced out of the July 2002 Busch Series race after
just 35 laps with engine problems.
“I didn’t get a lot of laps in either time, but I had a ball running this track because it’s so
different, and so much of a challenge,” Edwards said.
This time around, he’s with a team that won the 1999 Ram Tough 200 and took the Bud
Pole twice (1998 and 2000) with Greg Biffle. He’s also sure he’ll have a big rooting
contingent from Mid-Missouri, and fans who followed him on the St. Louis area dirt
tracks.
“Having that many people in your corner makes you go faster,” he said.
Edwards, and the rest of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars – Wood, Musgrave,
Bobby Hamilton, Mike Skinner, points leader Travis Kvapil, Brendan Gaughan and Jason
Leffler, will take to the track Friday for Practice and Bud Pole Qualifying at 4 p.m.
Also on center stage is the NASCAR Midwest Truck & Engine Midwest Series, that will
run the Gateway 125 starting at approximately 8:30 p.m. Eight-time series champion
Steve Carlson, former champs Eddie Hoffman and Brian Hoppe and defending Gateway
champion Jon Lemke lead this talented field of short-track drivers from the region.
Among the area stars entered in the race are Craig Smith of Godfrey, Ill., who finished
ninth in his debut event here last year, Doug Klein of Fairview Heights, Ill., and Mark
Voigt of Marine, Ill.
Tickets for this event are still available by calling (866) 35-SPEED or at the gate Friday
and Saturday.
Fans have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. to take advantage of the Domino’s $99 Family Four
Pack. The offer includes four race tickets, two Gateway hats, two Gateway Guy
bobbleheads, a program and a certificate for a free large Domino’s Pizza – a $300 value.
WANTS ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT AT GATEWAY IN RAM TOUGH 200
MADISON, Ill. (July 14) – Carl Edwards doesn’t pinch himself every five
minutes, though he’d like to. He doesn’t thank the Almighty every 30 seconds, though
that prayer does pop out of his lips with stunning frequency.
The 23-year-old NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year leader from
Columbia, Mo., starts almost every interview he gives these days with “I’m living the
dream.” He officially made it to Cloud 9 last Saturday night with his first series win at
Kentucky Speedway in the No. 99 Roush Racing Ford. And though it’s not nice to be
greedy, he’d love nothing better than to make it two wins this Saturday night at Gateway
International Raceway during the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200.
“Would that be the ultimate? I got my first win in late models on the dirt track in
Godfrey, Ill., five years ago” said Edwards, busy trying to find enough loose tickets for
all the friends and relatives that have magically re-appeared in his life the past few weeks,
looking for a way to see him on the 1.25-mile Gateway oval. “To race at Gateway was
just a dream then. To be with this team is a dream come true.”
The past month alone is a season to most drivers. He was runnerup at Texas, finished
fifth at Memphis, ran second to teammate Jon Wood at Kansas.
Then at Kentucky he came from the back of the field after having to change engines, and
beat veteran Ted Musgrave by more than three seconds. Edwards is in 10th spot in the
standings and the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year honors.
Despite a lack of sponsorship, Roush announced Tuesday that both Edwards and Wood
are set to run the rest of the season. “This is great news for everyone on the team,”
Edwards said. “After winning this weekend, I couldn’t imagine having to stop now. I’m
glad we can go on to Gateway this weekend and only have to worry about winning.”
Musgrave, a longtime Winston Cup driver and former Ram Tough champ was happy.
“That kid has paid his dues, and he’s a talented driver. You’re happy to see young talent
like that win, though I would’ve liked to give him a battle.”
In January, Edwards was eagerly awaiting his first full season with the Missouri-based
Mittler Brothers Racing team, moving closer to his degree at Missouri, and maybe even
doing a little more substitute teaching in the Columbia School system.
Then the Fairy Godmother hit, big time. Roush appeared set to sign Kyle Busch for their
Craftsman Truck Series program, only to have the 18-year-old back out at the last minute
for a contract with rival Hendrick Motorsports. Ten days before the NCTS race at
Daytona, Edwards got the call.
“To be in a truck that can contend every week, with a crew chief (Doug Richard) who’s
been in NASCAR longer than I’ve been alive, and a team like Roush Racing? It’s almost
unreal.”
After some promising qualifying efforts, and a fourth-place finish at Martinsville,
however, it got a bit too real after Edwards wrecked a pair of white 99s during the race
weekend in Dover. It prompted a highly instructive, sometimes blunt meeting with team
owner Jack Roush.
“He said, without a sponsor we can’t afford to keep replacing sheet metal, and told me I
had to work at keeping trucks in one piece if we wanted to keep racing,” Edwards said.
“Still, he taught me a lot in that session. He said ‘Look, you’ve got the power in your
hands, don’t squeeze it too tight. Get laps, and learn, the speed will come. That’s what
I’ve been trying to do, not forcing the issue but racing as hard as I can without going over
the edge. And the results have started to happen.”
Edwards gets along with his 21-year-old “veteran” teammate Wood, who is in his second
season with Roush. “We speak the same language,” Edwards said.
And they get regular chances to talk shop with Roush’s Winston Cup racers – points
leader Matt Kenseth, former NCTS champ Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and
Kurt Busch. “They all are accessible to us, and are genuinely interested in what we’re
doing. . . . just being around this atmosphere is just now starting to feel normal to me. For
a long time I couldn’t get it out of my head that, hey, I’m the kid who five years ago was
going to all the local dirt tracks, and now look.”
One of the things that has helped him make the transition, he said, was the six months he
spent late last year with Mittler Bros. (highlighted by the team’s first Top 10 finish in
Texas). “Mike Mittler ran a tight ship, just like they do here at Roush. That has helped me
a ton,” Edwards said.
Edwards is looking forward to another crack at Gateway, where he crashed in a 2001
USAC Silver Crown race, and was forced out of the July 2002 Busch Series race after
just 35 laps with engine problems.
“I didn’t get a lot of laps in either time, but I had a ball running this track because it’s so
different, and so much of a challenge,” Edwards said.
This time around, he’s with a team that won the 1999 Ram Tough 200 and took the Bud
Pole twice (1998 and 2000) with Greg Biffle. He’s also sure he’ll have a big rooting
contingent from Mid-Missouri, and fans who followed him on the St. Louis area dirt
tracks.
“Having that many people in your corner makes you go faster,” he said.
Edwards, and the rest of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars – Wood, Musgrave,
Bobby Hamilton, Mike Skinner, points leader Travis Kvapil, Brendan Gaughan and Jason
Leffler, will take to the track Friday for Practice and Bud Pole Qualifying at 4 p.m.
Also on center stage is the NASCAR Midwest Truck & Engine Midwest Series, that will
run the Gateway 125 starting at approximately 8:30 p.m. Eight-time series champion
Steve Carlson, former champs Eddie Hoffman and Brian Hoppe and defending Gateway
champion Jon Lemke lead this talented field of short-track drivers from the region.
Among the area stars entered in the race are Craig Smith of Godfrey, Ill., who finished
ninth in his debut event here last year, Doug Klein of Fairview Heights, Ill., and Mark
Voigt of Marine, Ill.
Tickets for this event are still available by calling (866) 35-SPEED or at the gate Friday
and Saturday.
Fans have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. to take advantage of the Domino’s $99 Family Four
Pack. The offer includes four race tickets, two Gateway hats, two Gateway Guy
bobbleheads, a program and a certificate for a free large Domino’s Pizza – a $300 value.
