Notebook: Edwards makes a championship switch

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Carl Edwards hopes to prove in 2009 that the difference between a champion and finishing second is never being satisfied.

Edwards said at Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway that Pierre "PK" Kuettel, his car chief in 2005 for Edwards' previous best Cup season, would return to that role this season, replacing Jason Myers.

Someone get that man a razor.

Edwards is even more enthused Myers remains as his "lead mechanic" after he helped crew chief Bob Osborne engineer Edwards' career-best nine wins in 2008. Edwards was third in the championship with two poles and four wins in 2005, his first full Cup season.

"We had so much success with PK on that team in 2005, I think having him come back and do this job is going to be a huge addition," Edwards said. "I think for two guys to do that, make moves that from the outside appear like downward moves so that we can go achieve a championship in the Cup Series, I'm so proud of those guys -- I'm so excited about it.

"I feel like we're right back where we were in 2005 except we gained a championship-level crew chief to car chief on my Cup car, and that's cool."

Kuettel had a long and successful history with Roush Racing as car chief on Jeff Burton's No. 99 Fords before he became a Busch Series crew chief. Kuettel and Edwards won the 2007 Nationwide Series championship before Kuettel was replaced by Drew Blickensderfer midway through 2008.

New look Johnson!

Three-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson showed up for Fan Fest with a beard that was a cross between Tony Stewart's often-worn scruff and a full mat. While the look is something that was often seen on drivers during testing in the past, the neat thing about Johnson's was, he said there was probably a permanent record of it.

"I typically grow it out in the winter and just decided to kind of stick with it a little longer," Johnson said. "Technically, I haven't been in a Cup car so the season hasn't started for me yet. I did tape a commercial the last two days with it, so it might stick around a little longer." (Continued)