Carl Edwards was an anonymous Craftsman Truck Series regular when the 2003 season opened. Credit: Autostock

Edwards set for Nextel Cup debut with Roush

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- -- Never mind Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin, who are acknowledged Nextel Cup racing superstars.

Craftsman Truck Series championship contender Carl Edwards not only gets to make his Nextel Cup debut at Michigan International Speedway in Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400; on Friday he got to hang with Wonder Woman and Superman.

Edwards, 25, is driving Roush Racing's No. 99 Ford, which has spent most of this season sponsorless, but this weekend is wearing an emerald "Green Lantern" paint scheme.

Carl Edwards Ford Driver's Eye Driver Page 2004 Truck Stats

The car is part of the "Justice League Racing Weekend Presented By Hot Wheels," a partnership between DC Comics; Warner Bros. Consumer Products; International Speedway Corporation; Mattel, Inc.; and Michigan International Speedway.

Edwards is making his Cup debut because former Roush driver Jeff Burton opted to sign a 2005 contract with Richard Childress Racing little more than a week ago.

At that point, Roush Racing decided it would begin building for the future immediately and elected to put Edwards in the car this weekend.

Edwards tested with the 99 team at Kentucky Speedway on Tuesday, and made his first official laps in a Cup car Friday morning at MIS.

He turned in 10 circuits, was fastest on his fourth and ended up 40th on the time chart when practice was rained out about 40 minutes into the session.

"It's really, really fun," Edwards said. "The car moves around a little more (than a truck) and it doesn't seem to be as forgiving. But we ran in race trim and felt like we were really good in race trim."

Edwards, crew chief Bob Osborne and their crew were comfortable doing that because, with the weather threatening to wipe out Bud Pole Qualifying all day Edwards was still in line to pick up the 23rd starting position based on Jeff Burton's standing in the points coming to Michigan.

"We didn't feel like we were worried (about qualifying raining out)," Edwards said. "We didn't make any qualifying runs and felt like we'd just pick up where we left off, on Saturday morning."

Edwards, who is fourth in the Truck Series standings, 204 points out of first with 10 races remaining, said he's trying to make his transition from driving less-aerodynamic Ford trucks to Ford Tauruses very carefully.

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Roush Racing president Geoff Smith Friday said getting Edwards the maximum amount of seat time in the 14 Cup races remaining this season was owner Jack Roush's goal.

The driver, who has only been racing on pavement for about three years, said he had a handle on that aspect.

"Absolutely, the biggest test (will be mental)," Edwards said. "Racing is 95 percent a mental game, and that's going to be the hardest thing; to be confident enough to be calm and patient and not panic in any situation out there.

"To run all the laps and get all that experience (is going to be the biggest thing)."

Smith said no definite decision had yet been made on whether or not to register Edwards for the Rookie of the Year chase.

Smith also said no decision had been made on exactly how to deal with the three direct schedule conflicts, which occur when the Nextel Cup Series races at Dover (trucks at Las Vegas), Talladega (trucks, California) and Lowe's Motor Speedway (trucks at Texas on the same day).

Edwards said nothing had totally surprised him in his less than two days of running, between Kentucky and Michigan.

"The only thing about this place that's just a little bit different is the corner entry speeds are probably the highest I've ever been in a racecar," Edwards said. "So it took a lap or two to start feeling comfortable with that.

"Other than that, (Cup cars) drive great. Everybody over there has done their homework and the thing steers great (and) everything is perfect. It's just a matter of me getting used to the little nuances of the driving."

Edwards said that, despite speeds of about 200 mph at the ends of MIS's two straightaways, the sensation of speed in a Nextel Cup car was still not the most breath-taking thing he'd ever experienced.

"I'd probably have to say the most significant sensation of speed I've ever had would be a USAC Silver Crown car at a dirt mile," Edwards said, grinning widely. "It's just because there's so much going on (and) you're going so fast at the end of the straightaways.

"I've only done that twice. I was not the fastest car there but in the first practice, after the first couple laps I was as fast as I wanted to be."