CARL EDWARDS Retires From NASCAR

In a quick and sudden announcement that took everyone by surprise, Carl Edwards has "retired" from NASCAR, stepping out of the car immediately.

In his announcement, Edwards said that,

"I'm stepping away from full-time driving in the Cup Series. ... This is the most scared I've been about anything. The time is right for me to move on to new adventures in life.

This has been a very difficult decision for me but I'm confident that it is the right one. I could not have a better situation in racing than the one I currently have, so stepping away from that certainly took a lot of consideration.

I have a lot of interests in life outside of sports that deserve my attention and I feel strongly that the time to do that is now. I've been racing for more than 20 years. It's amazing the opportunities that racing, and NASCAR in particular, have provided me. The people I've met and the things I've been able to do. I'm very grateful for all of that.

I'm satisfied with my career and my accomplishments. Racing for me has never really been about trophies. Of course I love winning, but there is a thrill to going into a corner at nearly 200 mph competing against the best in the world. I absolutely love that. Obviously there are risks involved in racing that I never take for granted, either, and I'm happy to be able to walk away from the sport fully healthy. I just believe that it's hard to start the next chapter in your life until I close this one. It is an awesome sport, but very demanding with year-round commitments and a lot of time on the road."

There's a lot of speculation about what is really happening behind the scenes in his home, as to why he may really be leaving. And maybe it's just that. It's time to move on.

Or maybe his wife had a good example for his stepping down, when you look at things like Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s concussion scenario and how it's impacted his life outside of racing while it sidelined him for months while he recovers from his brain injuries.

Considering his sentence about "I'm happy to be able to walk away from the sport fully healthy." could be the clue.

Who knows, though some folks did point out in his statement about how he loves going into corners at 200 mph and it's never really been about trophies.  (Um, then why was he wrecking everyone in those first few years of his time on the Cup scene?)

Here's NASCAR's statement in Carl Edwards retiring...

“Carl Edwards has made an indelible mark on NASCAR. His hard-charging driving style has led to memorable moments that will live forever in the history of our sport. Carl’s passion and personality will greatly be missed – as will the signature backflips that NASCAR fans have come to expect following his victories. We wish Carl nothing but the best as he enters this next phase in life.”

Now that's a succinct goodbye!

I've never been a fan of his, considering what a raging, angry asshole he seemed to be with his many on-track tiffs with multiple drivers, both on the track and garage and pit road. It's like he had an angry side of him just waiting to get out. And when he toned it down, it seemed like there was still something inside, wanting out, that he had to temper constantly, as he spun his image into something friendlier with the fans.

But I never recovered from his angry days.

OK, so we're taking bets...  when do you think he'll end up in the broadcast booth? (And threatening co-anchors for the camera spot? LOL)

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