RELATED: Edwards steps away from racing | NASCAR Nation reacts
WATCH: Entire stream from Edwards, Suarez news
“If you’re looking for a driver you’re looking for me.”
That’s what was written on young Carl Edwards‘ business cards nearly 20 years ago, cards he used to hand out at the race track while trying to transition from his day job as a substitute teacher in Columbia, Missouri, to a racer.
But even as he stood on the stage in front of the press corps at Joe Gibbs Racing Wednesday to announcing his departure from full-time racing after 12 seasons in NASCAR’s premier series, his humble, Midwestern roots were apparent.
They’d never left.
They were there even at Homestead-Miami Speedway, when a crash with Joey Logano in the final 10 laps took Edwards from Victory Lane to the garage, his dreams of winning the 2016 title were crushed as his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
Instead of reacting with anger, Edwards went to the No. 22 pit box, shook crew chief Todd Gordon’s hand and wished the team the best of luck the rest of the race.
RELATED: Relive the wreck | Edwards shows class post-accident at Miami
That act spoke volumes about Edwards’ character, both as a person and a race car driver.
“In pro sports, you’re going to get the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” JGR owner Joe Gibbs said. “And I think for all of us, everybody’s going to handle a victory pretty good … but that adversity, when you hit that … I think you guys have all seen (Edwards) go through some tough stuff and really handle himself extremely well.”
No one knew it, but that race, that night, would serve as the closing act in Edwards’ full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career finale.
With the exception of winning the title, Edwards’ night in South Florida couldn’t have served as a better curtain call for the 37-year-old driver.
MORE: Timeline of JGR changes
“Let me tell you about Homestead, though. With 30 laps to go, 40 laps to go, 30 laps to go, 20 laps to go, that’s what I live for,” Edwards said. “…That is racing to me. I mean, (crew chief) Dave (Rogers) and I had worked all year to be in that moment, to pass ‑‑ that battle with Jimmie (Johnson), and then to be able to pass Joey and Kyle (Busch) for the ultimate prize, driving just as hard as I could, and to be in that position and to know that day we were getting it done.
“…That part of Homestead, for me personally, I won.”
And really, he’s won again in a way as he steps away from premier series racing. Edwards is walking away from a career that he can be proud of, a stint across parts of 13 years in NASCAR’s premier series that boasts 28 victories, 22 poles and two runner-up finishes in the championship standings to Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart in 2008 and 2011, respectively.
MORE: Look back at his wins | Edwards gives three reasons for leaving
And he did it right: He did it with class, humility and the Midwestern demeanor that has followed him from Colombia, Missouri, to North Carolina and to race tracks across the country.
“It’s very flattering,” Edwards said of the public’s positive, always-do-the-right-thing perception of him. “Yeah, I just …”
He stopped, turned away from the audience, visibly wiping away tears.
When he spoke again, his voice quivered a bit.
“I just want to be a good person, you know. Sorry, guys. Damn camera shutters are killing me there. It’s the lighting, it’s awful,” he joked, trying to make light of his emotion.
It’s great to go out with a championship. But sometimes, it’s not always about the trips to Victory Lane. It usually wasn’t for Cousin Carl, even when he was handing out business cards in the beginning.
“You guys know that I don’t race just for the trophies,” Edwards said. “This has always been a really ‑‑ this has been a neat journey for me and it’s always been something that I’ve been rewarded by the challenges … So you go from that to working up the courage to ask people to drive a car to being put in situations where you know if you drive well and you win, you get sponsorship and everything works.
“Going through that whole process and becoming a better person, a stronger person, a better competitor, a better teammate, a better friend to people, that’s a big deal to me, and I feel accomplished.
“And I know when I sit in that race car that I am the best race car driver I can be. So whether or not I have a championship, I’m really satisfied with that.”