Carl Edwards

Birthday: 08/15/1979
Hometown: Columbia, MO , United States

YEAR-BY-YEAR CUP SERIES RECAP

2011 -- Finished tied for championship but was second to Tony Stewart based on most wins tiebreaker, 5-1. ... Series' second-best Loop Data Driver Rating of 101.0 keyed off league-leading total of top-five (19) and top-10 (26) finishes. ... Qualified for fifth consecutive Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the fifth seed. ... Won at Las Vegas. ... League-best average finish of 9.3. ... Tied for series lead with three Coors Light poles, at Phoenix-1, Bristol-1 and Homestead. ... Average start of 9.4. ... Completed 97.6 percent of laps attempted. ... Led 903 laps. Was in top five in every key Loop Data category but one (Quality Passes).

2010 -- Finished fourth in series points. ... Rebounded from winless 2009 season with nine top-fives, 19 top-10s. ... Qualified for his fourth consecutive Chase as ninth seed. ... Broke 70-race winless streak at Phoenix-2, then won 18th career race the next weekend at Homestead. ... Average finish 11.8. ... Won poles at Watkins Glen, Richmond-2, Phoenix-2; average start 15.2. ... Started in top 10 in 10 of final 13 races. ... Was in top five in two critical Loop Data Categories: Third in Percentage of Laps Run on Lead Lap (92.1 percent of 10,778 laps) and fifth in Percentage of Total Laps Run in the Top 15 (71.2 percent of 10,778 laps, or 7,671 laps).

2009 -- Finished 11th in series points. ... Went winless after leading the series with nine victories in 2008 and finishing second in series points. ... Led 103 of 200 laps in finishing second at Pocono on June 7. ... Was third at Atlanta on March 8 and Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen, both of which were won by Tony Stewart. ... Broke a bone in his foot playing Frisbee before the Atlanta fall race but did not miss any time.

2008 -- Finished second in series points. ... Won a series-high nine races. ... Won three races, with a total of eight top-10 finishes, during the Chase. ... Led seven year-end Loop Data statistical categories -- Driver Rating (108.6), Average Finish (9.5), Percentage of Laps in the Top 15 (78.6), Laps in the Top 15 (8, 426), Fastest Laps (1,091), Green Times Passed (1,818) and Average Mid-Race Position (10.3).

2007 -- Finished ninth in series points. ... Won three races, ending 52-race winless streak. Wins came at Michigan (June), Bristol (August) and Dover (September). ... Win at Bristol secured second career appearance in Chase. Started as fourth seed in Chase. ... Led 12 races for a total of 515 laps. ... Was in the top 10 in points for the final 26 weeks of the season.

2006 -- Finished 12th in series points. ... Experienced second-year slump, going winless after winning four races in rookie campaign. ... Finished the season with 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. ... Spent the final seven weeks of the season in 12th place, his highest position in the standings all year. ... Best finish was second at Michigan (August) and Dover (September).

2005 -- Finished third in series points. ... Finished with 13 top-fives and 18 top-10s. ... Entered the Chase in eighth place. ... Won four races, including a sweep of the races at Atlanta in March (his first series career win) and October. Also won at Pocono in June and Texas in November. ... Captured his first career pole at Fontana in September.

2004 -- Finished 37th in series points. ... Finished with one top-five, five top-10s and two DNFs in 13 starts. ... Followed Jeff Burton in the No. 99 after Burton moved to Richard Childress Racing in August. ... Started 13 of the final 14 races, the exception being the October event at Charlotte; that day, Edwards finished ninth in the Truck Series event at Texas. ... Finished 10th in his first series start in August at Michigan, becoming one of only five active drivers to post a top-10 finish in their first series race.

PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY

In 2011 won eight NASCAR Nationwide Series races and won series' owners' championship for Roush Fenway Racing. ... Has finished second in three consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series seasons, 2008-2010, plus in 2006. ... Won 2007 Nationwide Series championship. ... Has 37 Nationwide Series wins in 244 career starts. ... Won the 2007 Prelude to the Dream charity dirt late model event at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway. ... Third in 2005 Nationwide Series standings, won Rookie of the Year Award. ... Fourth in 2004 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points. ... Won 2003 Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors. ... Won the Baby Grand Stock Car Association national championship in 2002. ... Won two NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships at Capital Speedway near Jefferson City, Mo., in modifieds (1999) and pro modifieds (2000).

NOTEWORTHY

He and wife, Kate, had their first child, Anne, in February 2010. ... Was college student at the University of Missouri and a part-time substitute teacher prior to signing with Roush Fenway Racing. ... Father Carl "Mike" Edwards won more than 200 feature races driving modified stock cars and midgets at Midwestern tracks. ... He is also passionate about his philanthropic activities, which include working with charities such as Speedway Children's Charities, Dream Factory and Victory Junction Gang Camp.