Carl Edwards wasn't congratulating Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he approached the winner in Victory Lane. Credit: Autostock

Roush cautions Edwards to keep emotions in line

BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Jack Roush hopes Carl Edwards has learned a lesson from his latest run-in with NASCAR, but he can't make any promises.

	Carl Edwards has been seething recently. Credit: Autostock
	EDWARDS HEADLINES AT MICHIGAN  •   Edwards fined, placed on probration for post-race antics •   Junior bumps Edwards en route to Busch Series win AT POCONO  •   Edwards, Bowyer furious with Stewart after bump

Edwards on Tuesday was fined $20,000 and placed on probation for the remainder of the year for ramming the side of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car under caution during the final lap of last weekend's Busch Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

The move was in retaliation for Earnhardt spinning Edwards out for the win on a green-white-checkered finish.

Edwards also visited Earnhardt in Victory Lane, where he delivered a profanity-laced message to NASCAR's most popular driver.

NASCAR called both into the hauler before Sunday's Nextel Cup race to make sure there were no lingering bad feelings. They appeared friendly leaving the driver's meeting.

"Unless they have a conversation that satisfied Carl, Carl will continue to move forward believing [Earnhardt] drove over him rather than giving him a chance to recover,'' Roush said. "That may manifest itself into something sometime in the future, and it may not.''

Roush hopes Edwards will let him and other team officials handle issues in the future when he gets mad enough to retaliate.

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"The challenge to me and the challenge for NASCAR is when that pressure gets so great he can't stand it he won't feel the need to go back and act on it,'' he said. "I think he's to that point to let us help him.''

Roush also admitted it is part of Edwards' personality to stand up for himself once he feels wronged. He compared Edwards to legendary film star John Wayne, whose code of honor never was more evident than in his last film, The Shootist.

"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on,'' Wayne said in the 1976 movie.

"I think Carl lives that,'' Roush said.

Roush added that Edwards remains frustrated from an incident last month at Pocono, where he was caught up in a retaliatory move by Tony Stewart against Clint Bowyer.

Both Bowyer and Edwards crashed, all but eliminating them from a chance to make the Chase to the Nextel Cup. Edwards is 13th in points, 244 out of the 10th and final spot eligible for NASCAR's playoff, entering Saturday's Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Edwards was outspoken after the Pocono incident, calling Stewart a jerk and self-centered. He seemed to take a step outside the golly-gee approach he had a year ago as he made the Chase in his first full season in Cup.

Roush said Edwards, whom he describes as a "genuinely nice guy,'' never has had trouble expressing himself.

"Tony Stewart didn't perpetuate a deal to take him out of a race and probably take him out of the Chase a year ago,'' he reminded. "The thing that happened at Pocono was really extreme.''