"We're in the hunt": When Carl Edwards found new championship confidence with Joe Gibbs Racing

Carl Edwards entered the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with a renewed championship belief. Speaking ahead of the Round of 8 opener at Martinsville, he explained how his first year with Joe Gibbs Racing changed his mindset after earlier setbacks.

In 2011, Edwards lost the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship to Tony Stewart in one of the closest finishes in series history. Despite leading most laps in the finale and entering the race with a three-point advantage, he lost the title on a tiebreaker. Both drivers ended the season tied on points, but Stewart claimed the title for winning five Chase races to Edwards’ one.

By 2015, Edwards found himself back in familiar territory. Now driving the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, he spoke about the shared ambition within the team.

“Joe Gibbs makes it real clear that we are here to compete, and that’s what he does this for,” Edwards said via Autoweek. “Toyota let me know that they already have a spot for the trophy... They are in this to win... ARRIS came on board, and first thing they told me was that ‘we have the fastest modems, and we better have a fast race car.’ Everybody wants to win, and it’s cool to be part of a group like that. We have four races left. We’re in the hunt.”

However, the start was not smooth. Carl Edwards had just one top-10 finish in his first 11 races, and early results suggested the transition from Roush Fenway Racing would take time.

Carl Edwards before the NASCAR Cup Series Axalta 'We Paint Winners' 40. Source: Getty

Momentum began to shift as the year progressed. He won at Charlotte in May, then added another at Darlington just before the playoffs, with the No. 19 team finally clicking.

“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t feel like… I thought the chance of sitting here being able to say that after about eight races were slim. We were struggling, and I’m really proud of everybody for coming together. This is going to be fun, this is what it’s about,” he added.

Despite the optimism, Carl Edwards finished outside the top 10 in two of the three semifinal races and failed to advance to the Championship 4. His teammate, Kyle Busch, won the 2015 Cup Series in the No. 18 JGR car, closing the door on another title run for Edwards.

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When Carl Edwards retired after a Championship 4 appearance with Joe Gibbs Racing

2016 Championship four drivers, including Carl Edwards (middle right), at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Source: Getty

Carl Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing returned even stronger in 2016. He won back-to-back races at Bristol and Richmond early in the season, then delivered an improved playoff performance. He earned the pole at New Hampshire, finished second at Kansas, and secured his place in the Championship 4 with a win at Texas.

Edwards and Kyle Busch were battling for position in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway when a late caution reshuffled the field. On the restart, Joey Logano pushed forward and made contact with Edwards, who blocked. The resulting multi-car wreck ended his championship hopes and brought out the red flag.

Shortly afterwards, Edwards made the unexpected decision to step away from NASCAR at age 37, citing a desire to focus on family life. He finished with 28 Cup wins, 72 national-series victories, and multiple championship near-misses. Many drivers called for his return, including former teammate Denny Hamlin, who believes Edwards might've regretted walking away from NASCAR too soon.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar