If all the talk is true (and there has been a lot of it) then Carl Edwards will be behind the wheel of the #20 Home Depot Toyota Camry next year. Edwards who moved back atop the point standings following New Hampshire’s race is in the final year of his contract with Roush Fenway Racing.
Edwards is the most sought after free agent driver perhaps in the history of NASCAR. The ‘Silly Season’ in NASCAR never really ends but rarely have we seen a driver of Edwards’ talent hit the market. In the prime of his career and leading the point standings the driver known as “Cousin Carl” is set to get a big payday in a down market.
Few drivers on the circuit are as marketable or likeable as Edwards and even less have his ability.
The biggest thing driving Edwards is his desire to compete for a championship. Only a handful of teams can offer him that and with no room at the inn at Hendrick Motorsports the best two options are his current team Roush Fenway or Joe Gibbs Racing.
While there has never been any visible rift between Edwards and the Roush Fenway organization you cant help but wonder why Edwards is still on the market if the two really were planning to be together in 2012. Further Edwards has never come out and said that he wants to return to drive the #99 car next year which can only mean that he’s been looking else where.
The driving force in the whole deal likely is the Home Depot. After watching Jimmie Johnson and Lowe’s win the last five Sprint Cup Championships the home improvement chain wants back on top of the ladder. They have fallen so far down that they are even being outrun by the Menards car of Paul Menard. While Menard is driving for Richard Childress Racing this year he’s still not exactly lighting things up which only tells you where Joey Logano the current driver of the #20 is.
The front office at Joe Gibbs Racing has denied that Logano would be replaced in the #20 next year but let things be clear. A huge sponsor like Home Depot calls the shots on this one. With them footing the bill there is little reason to believe those aforementioned statements.
For what it’s worth neither Edwards, Joe Gibbs or Jack Roush have shed any light on the matter. The lack of a statement from the Roush side is not unexpected as rarely do organizations come forward with the loss of a driver or star athlete before an official announcement is made by the driver and/or their new team.
If true the move of Edwards to the #20 would give Joe Gibbs Racing far and away the best 1-2-3 in all of NASCAR. It’s arguable that current drivers Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are the best duo of drivers for any organization.
With an off week coming up prior to the race at Indianapolis it’s possible we will hear official word on this very soon.
Arguable that Hamlin and Kyle are the best duo in Cup? Are you serious? Maybe a poor argument. Gordon and Johnson = nine Cup championships-Hamlin and Kyle = ZERO championships. Get real.
Logano is gone. His only Cup win was a gift-wrapped rain shortened race that he was a non-factor in until all the leaders came to pit road and he stayed out……then the rain came.
He may be young and talented, but still not ready for prime time yet, which is what Stewart brought to the #20 Car. Home Depot deserves the best.
GIBBS IS THE BEST OWNER IN NASCAR! SCREW JOHNSON/GORDON. GORDAN WHAT HAVE YOU DONE LATELY. I AGREE LAGANO SHOULD RACE NATIONWIDE. I ALSO WANT THAT ORANGE CAR IN FRONT LIKE THE OLD DAYS! PUT JOEY IN A 4TH CAR IF GIBBS DECIDES TO GO THERE.
GO JGR
SORRY FOR THE SPELLING EARLY HERE. ALSO MAY I MENTION GIBBS IS A MAN OF FAITH & THE LORD WILL PROVIDE FOR HIM. TOYOTA HAS LOTS OF CASH TO HELP EDWARDS GO TO JGR!
GO REDSKINS
To the mispelling person! How many cups championships has your great two won!!!oooOOOOOoooOOOOO What have you done lately GORDON !!Check the stats and put your two Good drivers together and they cannot match Jeff! Wow you forgot I Guess!!
Even though I am and always will be a FORD fan, I will follow “cousin Carl” wherever he goes. Go Carl!
Gordon and Johnson may have 9 total championships but Gordon’s last came well before he became a “globe trotting” celeb. He’s not even a factor on most weekends and while he has 2 wins this year there has also been a great share of less then good runs.
There is a point where a driver is on the downside of his career and I think it’s safe to say Gordon is there. Going forward you have to believe there is a greater chance for Hamlin or Busch to outscore him not only in wins but championships as well. That was the reason behind that statement. If you throw Edwards with those two there is no way the talent at Hendrick compares.
I remember a guy named Dale Earnhardt driving a Ford for Bud Moore. Ford got cheap and there went 7 championships out the door. I watched Jeff Gordon driving a Baby Ruth sponsored Yates prepped Ford in the Busch series and waswinning everything in sight. Here comes Chevrolet again there went 4 championships. If they piss away the chance to sign someone as marketable and dedicated as Carl Edwards that ends my support for Ford in professional motorsports or for purchasing their products. It tells me they are nothing more than a revolving door for the top talent to take there wares somewhere else. I am completely sick of it. Ford if you want to man up and win championships. It takes championship caliber drivers to get it done. Oh and let me throw in kurt Busch for your 3rd opportunity to hold on to a championship caliber driver and all of you acted like children instead of sitting down like men and working out a deal.
HEY LENNY TAKE YOUR POKES! ITS HOW YA FININSH THAT COUNTS. LIKE JOHN SAID (THANKS FOR SUPPORT), GORDON IS ON THE DOWNSIDE OF HIS GAME. EVERYONE IS GUNNING FOR JOHNSON SO NO HELP THERE! BUSH IS COCKY BUT HAS REASON TO BE! HAMLIN IS GETTING MORE PATIENT AS IS BUSH. CARLS JUST THE MAN TO BRING THAT TEAN TOGETHER & SPONSORS.
3 YOUNG GUNS SHALL I SAY WHO HAVE MANY GOOD YEARS AHEAD. NO HOLLYWOOD, NO MODELS JUST RACE. 48 + 24 IS 72 RIGHT? I THINK THATS RETIREMENT AGE.
GO JGR
ALSO I THINK IF CARLS GOES TO GIBBS, ZIPPY MAY STAY & NOT LEAVE FOR STEWART/HASS. I LOVED SMOKE WHEN HE WAS WITH GIBBS. BUT SINCE HE LEFT HE HAS TO PLACE TO NICE DUE TO OWNERSHIP. I STILL LOVE SMOKE & IT WAS HARDER TO TURN MY ORANGE 20 GEAR INTO NUMBER 14 THAN IT WAS TO CHANGE 8 TO 88!
me thinks you think to much mjl20 coz you dont know “JACK”! how’s the view from the rear look to yeah! coz thats where they’re at. you see mjl20, gordon HAS 4 championships n 80 + wins. johnson HAS 5 championships (in a row) n 50 + wins. you cant win championships if you cant beat the champion! its safe to say they dont have to prove a thing for the rest of there days in nascar. there accomplishments speak for them….ohh, and john, if you think anyone of those 3 will ever beat gordon in the win column, they better start winning an average of 9 wins per year, give or take.so why dont you get that “FIRST” championship under your butt before you talk crap and maybe we will see you at the grown ups table where the champions sit!!!!
@MJL20
“GIBBS IS THE BEST OWNER IN NASCAR! SCREW JOHNSON/GORDON.”
Nice quote from a Man who appreciates Gibbs because he is a man of faith! LOL Give me a break. Grow up, its suppose to be fun. People posting hateful and nasty comments just reflects their IQ.
“If all the talk is true (and there has been a lot of it.)”
Talk? What talk? You then go on to say…
“For what it’s worth neither Edwards, Joe Gibbs or Jack Roush have shed any light on the matter.”
How about reporting the news for a change rather than trying to make it?
Can all you Chevy and Dodge fans say Bailout
Can all you Chevy and Dodge fans say Bailout Enough Said.
GOT ONE NAME FOR ALL YOU CLOWNS!JAMIE WEATHERFORD.NO HE’S NOT A NASCAR STAR BUT CHECK OUT THE STATS.WON 40 OUT OF THE LAST 52 SUPER TRUCK RACES.3 STRAIGHT TRACK CHAMPS AT MYRTLE BEACH SPEEDWAY.WORST FINISH IN THREE YEARS INCLUDING RUNNING HICKROY,TRI COUNTY,DILLON.FLORENCE IS 5TH! NASCAR IS LIKE WATCHING PAINT DRY ON A BLOCK WALL IN KENYA.
Real men dont drive cars built by people who eat dogs!
I lie Carl but you can bet that if he goes to Toyota he will not get my support. He has an excellent ride right where he is at.
5 time johnson 4 time gordon 2 time tony no time bush hamlin lttle e go hendricks
Worth nothing both Stewart’s titles came with Gibbs. Gibbs also won a title with Bobby Labonte.
Though Hendrick also won with a Labonte, Texas Terry