RELATED: Edwards reveals tie to former U.S. president
BOSTON -- Carl Edwards wants to win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Like, wicked bad.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made the trip due north to New England on Tuesday as part of a historic visit to downtown Boston with representatives from New Hampshire Motor Speedway -- Milo the Mascot moose, included -- to promote the upcoming New Hampshire 301 Sprint Cup Series race (July 17, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The veteran made it abundantly clear that he plans to take home his first lobster this summer -- and eat him, too.
"I really like eating lobster, so that lobster's out of luck if we win, I can tell you that," Edwards told a crowd gathered on the iconic cobblestone outside the famed Quincy Market at City Hall Plaza. "I want to win this race. It's a tough place and a lot of fun, but if you win at New Hampshire, you know you've done something … you've earned it. It's a really hard track. We've won in the XFINITY Series, but in the Cup Series we haven't done it."
Spoken like a driver who, despite a respectable 13.3 average finishing position, has just seven top-10s in 23 attempts at the "Magic Mile."
Don't forget about the heartbreak of last year, either, when Edwards' No. 19 Toyota Camry started from the pole at both Loudon races, only to see two of his teammates (Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth) sweep the season.
Perhaps the resiliency of the USS Constitution, a wooden-hulled frigate known as "Old Ironsides" for withstanding a heavy amount of fire during the War of 1812, can inspire Edwards after he toured one of America's most famous ships, ported in the Charlestown Navy Yard.
"I hear she's 33-0 (in naval battles), which is not bad."
Despite a history of near-misses at the track, it ranks among the 2011 Sprint Cup Series runner-up's favorites. If you've ever been to a race at the New England motorsports mecca, you may be able to take some of the credit.
"There are a number of things that make (New Hampshire Motor Speedway) great," Edwards said at the USS Constitution Museum. "Number one, really, I'd say it's the fans. I truly feel like when I'm up here racing in New Hampshire, I feel like I'm racing in front of my peers. There are more racers in the grandstands watching us race and more racers walking around than probably anywhere we go. To me, it's a real honor and a lot of pressure in that.
"The track itself is very unique. It looks simple, just a 1-mile race track and it's really flat and it's a true oval, but it's a really tough place. Any driver will tell you that success at New Hampshire is a true success and you really have to do everything right. No matter how good you are, it's those restarts … as you know if you've been to the race, they're insane. Lot of crazy stuff that happens.
"… You look at it you say 'Well, that's pretty easy.' The problem is, it's easy for everybody. It's the little tiny nuances, very small things in the pavement that you figure out. There's a couple little bumps that you have to be careful of. Everybody is just on edge the entire time. To be fast at New Hampshire, you have to be right on the edge, just sliding the car perfectly and it's real easy to screw up."
Now just imagine that with the new lower downforce, higher-passing package we've seen thus far in 2016. Sounds like something wicked awesome every New Englander should see, no?
NASCAR's audience continues to expand in Boston, its market already saturated with so much of New England's focus on its four major professional sports teams in the Boston Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins and New England Patriots, which have combined for a mesmerizing nine champions since 2001.
If any driver is aware of this challenge and ready to take it on headfirst, it's Edwards -- whose former team co-owner also, you know, signs the checks over at Fenway Park.
"I drove for Jack Roush and (Boston Red Sox owner) John Henry owned half that team, Roush Fenway (Racing), and I got to spend quite a bit of time down in Boston. Got to throw out a pitch at Fenway Park, which was one of the most nerve-wracking things I've ever done in my life. It's a lot of pressure," said Edwards, fourth in points.
" … New Hampshire Motor Speedway is NASCAR New England style. It's as good as it gets. I say that because it's tough and it's really competitive. It's just an hour away (from Boston). … I can say there are a lot of similarities between stick and ball sports here and the racing up at the speedway.
"Folks that haven't been to New Hampshire Motor Speedway … it's a short drive (from Boston) and it's an amazing experience. … You can see the whole track. It's a beautiful facility.
" … There's no better place to watch a race."