Edwards has sponsor for full 2005 season

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- -- Carl Edwards will compete for the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship in a fully sponsored Roush Racing car, team president Geoff Smith said Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

Carl Edwards

Edwards, 25, is set to make his Nextel Cup debut in Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400 at MIS after team owner Jack Roush elected to replace Jeff Burton with Edwards, after Burton signed a 2005 contract to race for Richard Childress Racing.

What Edwards does in terms of conflicts with his remaining events on the Craftsman Truck Series, where he is fourth in the standings after 15 of 25 races; and vis a vis the Nextel Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award is still up in the air, Smith said.

"The short answer is the seat time is more important than chasing a rookie award," Smith said. "Particularly when we have sponsorship lined up for next year."

Smith declined to name the company, but he confirmed his owner's feeling about getting the Missouri native ready for the Cup circuit.

"We're starting these (last 14) races without the benefit of any practice on the racetracks for Carl," Smith said. "So seat time is the most important factor. You don't want to give up your long-term opportunities for success, for an opportunity to compete for an award (when) there's another award to compete for next year.

Jack Roush

"It's called the Nextel Cup championship and that's still the first award we go after, and the other awards fall in. So (we feel like) track time is more important (but) we haven't decided yet, what we're going to do.

"Our inclination is to run as many (Cup races) as we can run, if you're asking me today.

"We think that's more important than participating in next year's rookie of the year business. We'll get the rookie business out of the way (this year) even though with this few races (Edwards) has no chance to win it."

Smith said the decision has not yet been made even to register Edwards for the 2004 program, which has six contenders who count their best 17 finishes to determine the winner.

If a driver competes in more than seven races in a season, his rookie eligibility is gone.

"It's not on our radar screen because we have (up to) seven races to decide," Smith said.

For 14 of 23 races in 2004, the No. 99 has had 10 different sponsors' decals on it. Nine times it has been sponsorless. There is no question the car will compete in the final 14 Cup races, Smith said.

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"We have other sponsorship coming," Smith said of the balance of 2004. "And we have no issues with sponsorship for next year, and that part hasn't been clear. We are covered."

Before he gets to 2005, Edwards has to complete the "double" for the balance of 2004. Seven of the 10 remaining Truck Series races are "combination" events, with the Nextel Cup Series.

There are three direct conflicts among the remaining races, including Cup races at Dover and Talladega, where the trucks race at Las Vegas and California on the day before the respective Cup events; and Lowe's Motor Speedway, a "twi-night" Cup race where the trucks race earlier the same day.

Edwards has maintained in the last week that winning the truck championship, in which he is currently 204 points behind leader Bobby Hamilton, is his first priority; and Smith agreed.

"We do not want to take away an opportunity to win the truck championship," Smith said. "We'll do everything we can to do them both -- whether it's flying (Edwards) back and forth or sometimes putting somebody else in to qualify.

"We'll do absolutely everything we can, that way."

Smith said by the time the two series get to the weekend of Oct. 16, the Lowe's/Texas conflict, a decision might be made about an alternative plan; but he reaffirmed Roush's intent to run the 99 in all 36 Cup races and its truck counterpart in all 25 truck events.

"When we get closer to (Lowe's), which is the first real conflict of consequence, we'll evaluate where Carl is in the points," Smith said. "We'll weigh which is more important (and) make a decision about (Carl) giving up one or the other.

"We're still going to run the Cup car at Charlotte and the truck at (Texas) -- it's just a question of who's going to drive what."