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#99 Team Past News and Rumors

NOTE:

2007 News

Edwards penalty upheld by Commission: NATIONAL STOCK CAR RACING COMMISSION STATEMENT: On October 9, 2007, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of Roush Fenway Racing regarding the #99 car. The appeal concerned three penalties issued by NASCAR following post-race inspection on September 23, 2007 for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event at Dover International Speedway. The infractions concerned Section 12-4-A of the NASCAR Rule Book "Actions detrimental to stock car racing"; Section 12-4-Q "Any determination by NASCAR Officials that the car, car parts, components, and/or equipment used in the Event do not conform to NASCAR rules" and Section 20-12.8.1.C of the NASCAR COT Technical Bulletin #3 dated 4/10/07: "Failed to meet the minimum rear car heights."
The penalties assessed were:
* Loss of 25 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Championship Car Owner Points for car owner Roush Fenway Racing.
* Loss of 25 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Championship Driver Points for driver Carl Edwards.
* $25,000.00 fine and probation until December 31, 2007 for crew chief Robert Osborne.
The Appellants argued that the infraction was due to the failure of a clamp on a jack bolt and that the resulting low rear car height was a performance disadvantage. They further argued that penalties imposed during the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup should be assessed differently than during other portions of the season, and differently for Chase contenders than for other competitors.
In deciding the Appeal, the Commission considered several factors: * There was no indication that the infraction was intentional.
* The car failed to meet post-race height requirements. Whether this constituted an advantage, disadvantage or otherwise does not alter the fact that the car failed to meet the rules.
* All eligible competitors in each NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship race are awarded championship points per the NASCAR Rule Book. Accordingly, point penalties should continue to be assessed irrespective of a given competitor's overall standing in the championship points, or in which championship race an infraction occurs.
* The penalties imposed are consistent with those for other recent car height violations.
Therefore it is the unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission (John Capels, Grant Lynch and George Silbermann, Chairman) to uphold the original penalties assessed by NASCAR. The Appellants have the right under Section 15 of the Rule Book to appeal this decision to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.(NASCAR PR)(10-10-2007)

Edwards appeal to be heard Tues: Roush Fenway Racing will have its appeal hearing Tuesday in front of a three-person panel of the National Stock Car Racing Commission. #99-Carl Edwards was penalized 25 points after winning two weeks ago at Dover when a postrace inspection showed the rear quarter panel on his #99 Ford was too low. Edwards plans to attend the hearing with Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith. "If I go, maybe I can learn something about the process," Edwards said. "And I still believe we have a good case to get some relief." NASCAR officials admit the lower height of the car was not an advantage, but a rule is a rule. That isn't the argument for team officials. Smith and team co-owner Jack Roush have argued that the points penalty should be reduced from 25 points to 10 during the Chase because fewer points are available for the Chase competitors.(ESPN.com)(10-6-2007)

Gordon Says Penalties Get Teams' Attention: When NASCAR slapped the #24 and #48 Hendrick Motorsports teams with 100-point penalties for illegal aerodynamic modifications back in June at Infineon Raceway, the message was received loud and clear, according to Jeff Gordon. "I will be honest with you, right now, if we don't run as good as some other guys, it is because we are being conservative. We aren't pushing the limits because we know what the outcome can be," Gordon said at Kansas Speedway, site of Sunday's LifeLock 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup race. "We are making sure we go through inspection, we meet all the cold templates and every other thing that they have on the new car. We are doing everything we can to make sure that is the case going in to the race and that is the case coming out of the race. We might falter, too, but we are playing more on the conservative side, we might give up a few positions on the race track because of that, but we have been hit with it and we learned our lesson." Gordon said he thought that other teams would be erring to the side of caution, too, after seeing #99-Carl Edwards and the Roush Fenway Racing team spanked with a 25-point fine for being too in post-race inspection last Sunday at Dover. "We are playing it conservative, I would think that is going to be case with the #99 (Edwards) now," Gordon said.(SPEEDtv.com)(9-30-2007)

Roush Fenway to Appeal #99 Penalty: NASCAR advised Roush Fenway Racing today that it will issue penalties against Carl Edwards (25 driver points), Jack Roush (25 owner points) and crew chief Bob Osborne ($25,000) for violating a rear fender height rule following Sunday's race at Dover International Speedway. Roush Fenway Racing president, Geoff Smith gave a statement following NASCAR's announcement: "We have the misfortune of violating a rule which makes no sense. It was promulgated to address restrictor plate races, not downforce races. I say misfortune because we are being penalized for a violation that actually impaired the car's performance. We intend to appeal the unfair assessment of the point's penalty. What is unfair is that Carl is receiving a penalty that is 250% greater in its effect than a similarly assessed penalty against a non-'Chase' driver. 'Chase' drivers are competing for a total of 1,950 points. All drivers competed for 5,070 points in the first 26 races. Do the math. The net effect is that a 25 point penalty falls unfairly hard on a 'Chase' contender. That's simply not right. To equalize the penalty impact on all competitors not more than 10 points should have been taken from a 'Chase' contender."(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(9-25-2007)

Edwards winning car at Dover fails post race inspection UPDATE Penalty Announced: been told that #99-Carl Edwards Ford, which won the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway, was too low on one side of the rear of the car. Supposedly NASCAR will take the car back to its R&D Center in Concord, NC to check it out further, but that they do not consider it as the team altering the COT [Car of Tomorrow] and probably would not be any fines or penalties unless they find something different. Edwards Statement: “The worse case would be 25 points, the right rear being low – any engineer or crew chief in the garage will tell you that’s the last thing you want,” Edwards said. “You want the right rear to be high. The only thing I can think of is at the end of the race, Greg came up and gave me a couple of love taps to say ‘good job, good race’ and hopefully they find that that bent the tail of the car down a little bit. There are some braces bent under the decklid so hopefully that’s what it is.”(PRN's Garage Pass)
AND #99-Carl Edwards' race-winning Roush Fenway Racing Ford failed postrace inspection Sunday at Dover International Speedway. The right rear of his car fell below the 1/2-inch tolerance for height, NASCAR said. The victory most likely will stand, but Edwards' team is expected to be penalized later this week. Team owner Jack Roush said that there were no changes made to the right side of the car and that he believes NASCAR will find the car is bent. He added it was his understanding that the right-rear was 3/8ths of an inch low, which doesn't make sense to him. Although this is a car of tomorrow entry, the likely penalty does not fall under the tampering-with-COT rules since the structure of the body has not been manipulated. The question NASCAR now will have to answer is what did happen. The sanctioning body is taking the car to its research and development center in Concord, N.C. for further review.(SceneDaily.com)(9-23-2007)
UPDATE 2 Carl Edwards Docked 25 Points, Crew Chief Fined $25,000: Carl Edwards, winner of this past Sunday’s Nextel Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway, has been penalized 25 driver championship points due to rule violations found in post-race inspection. The loss of points dropped Edwards from third in the Chase for the Nextel Cup standings to sixth, 28 points behind leader Jeff Gordon. The #99 Ford driven by Edwards was found to be too low in the right rear area, which violated Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment not conforming to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8.1C (failed to meet minimum rear car heights) of NASCAR Car of Tomorrow Technical Bulletin #3 dated April 10, 2007. In addition, those infractions have resulted in a $25,000 fine for Edwards’ crew chief Bob Osborne, plus a penalty of 25 car owner championship points for Roush Fenway Racing. Osborne also has been placed on probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR)(9-25-2007)

100th Cup win for Roush: #99-Carl Edwards hit another historical marker Sunday winning his seventh career Nextel Cup race at Dover International Speedway and claiming win number 100 for Jack Roush and Roush Fenway Racing in NASCAR’s elite series [4th all-time]. Roush’s first Nextel Cup win came in 1989 with Mark Martin in the #6 Stroh’s Light Ford. Martin claimed Roush Fenway Racing’s first win at Rockingham Speedway and now, 18 year’s later, Edwards’ has brought home win number 100 in the #99 Office Depot Ford. Roush has won with seven different drivers in NASCAR’s top series, all in Ford’s. Three of the seven have moved on but not before leaving their mark in Roush Fenway’s history books. Martin has the most wins of the seven drivers with 35 while Jeff Burton took home 17 wins during his seven years at the company. Kurt Busch also claimed his share of wins beginning in 2002 at the first Bristol race. Busch went on to win a total of 14 Cup races under the Roush umbrella as well as Roush Fenway’s second Cup championship in 2004 (the very first Nextel Cup championship). Four of Roush Fenway’s current Nextel Cup drivers have all contributed to the win column including 15 from Matt Kenseth. Busch and Truck Series champion Greg Biffle has 11 total Cup victories to date. Jamie McMurray has one, this past July at Daytona. This brings Roush Fenway Racing’s win column to 364 total wins across Roush’s NASCAR, Trans-Am and drag racing endeavors.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(9-24-2007)

Edwards wins Dover wreckfest: #99-Carl Edwards won the wild Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover International Speedway for his 3rd win in 2007 and 7th of his career. With 13 laps to go there was a big wreck that included 12 cars and took out Chase drivers #2-Busch [who caused the wreck when something broke in the car or lost a tire] and damaged the cars of #1-Truex Jr. and #48-Johnson. #17-Kenseth led 192 laps [the most led] until he lost his engine late and finished 35th. #11-Hamlin tangled with #45-Kyle Petty and even after the crew made repairs to the car, Hamlin only finished 38th and is now 12th in the Chase pts, down 158. #24-Gordon finished 11th and leads the points by 2 pts over #20-Stewart, 3 pts over #48-Johnson and 4 pts over #99-Edwards. #16-Biffle finished 2nd, followed by #8-Earnhardt Jr., #01-Martin, #5-Busch, #25-Mears, #31-Burton, #26-McMurray, #20-Stewart and #42-Montoya. Other chase drivers finished: #24-Gordon 11th; #07-Bowyer 12th; #1-Truex Jr. 13th [in a battered car]; #48-Johnson 14th; #29-Harvick 20th; #2-Busch 29th/accident; #17-Kenseth 35th/engine and #11-Hamlin 38th. There were 13 cautions for 66 laps with 2 red flags and 9 drivers led the race with 14 lead changes.
Race Results on my Dover Race Results/Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Dover page
Race Rundown: see my Dover Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(9-23-2007)

Edwards and Mom team up to help PTA: Office Depot and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) announced that #99-Carl Edwards and his mother, Nancy Sterling, will serve as Co-Ambassadors for Youth for the nation's largest volunteer parent organization, PTA. Edwards and Sterling have both been strong supporters of PTA in the past, with Edwards serving as National Ambassador for Youth last year and Sterling having been President of her local PTA when Edwards and his younger brother Kenny were in grade school. Office Depot, a Proud Community Partner of PTA, will help Edwards and his mom Nancy work with the national organization to reach out to kids nationwide, encouraging parents to be more involved with their kids' education. Sterling isn't the only member of her family with a role in education on her resume - Edwards was a substitute teacher prior to his racing career taking off in 2005. Edwards and PTA are working with the Office Depot Foundation to help distribute more than 300,000 backpacks with school supplies to underprivileged children during this back to school season.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(9-20-2007)

Edwards to have different colors at Loudon: Marriott Vacation Club, the world’s leader in timesharing with resorts around the globe will partner with Roush Fenway Racing this weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway. The #99 driven by Carl Edwards will sport the Marriott Vacation Club colors this Sunday in Sylvania 300 at Loudon. For more information visit www.marriottvacations.com.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(9-13-2007)

Special Scheme for Edwards at California: The #99 Office Depot Ford of Carl Edwards will sport a special look this weekend at California to help promote the newly enhanced Office Depot Work Life Rewards Program. Edwards will participate in his second Office Depot Foundation backpack donation event of 2007. He will be at the Office Depot store at 8160 Day Creek Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. on Thursday, August 30 from 5:00-7:00pm/et.(Rosuh Fenway Racing)(8-28-2007)
IMAGE: see imag of the scheme on my #99 Team Schemes page.(8-29-2007)

Braun to make stock car debut in ARCA for Roush: Colin Braun, driver of the #99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion, will make his Roush Fenway Racing debut in Friday night's ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Gateway International Speedway. Braun recently signed long-term contracts with Roush Fenway Racing and Ford Racing.(Ford Racing PR)(8-29-2007)

Win #99 for Roush in Cup: Car owner Jack Roush now boasts 99 Nextel Cup Series victories after Carl Edwards claimed the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night. It was also Ford's first victory with the Car of Tomorrow.(Daytona Beach News Journal) see the top 10 active and all-time owner winners on my Winners List page.(8-28-2007)

Edwards wins at Bristol: #99-Carl Edwards won the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway for his 2nd win in 2007 and 6th of his career. Edwards along with #20-Stewart and #17-Kenseth are now locked into the Chase. #9-Kahne, who led the most lap with 305, finished 2nd, followed by #07-Bowyer, #20-Stewart, #8-Earnhardt Jr., #2-Busch, #12-Newman, #43-Labonte, #5-Busch and #16-Biffle. Points leader #24-Gordon finished 19th, 2nd going into the race [now 3rd] #11-Hamlin lost an engine and finished 43rd, the first time in 53 straight races Hamlin did not finish a Cup race. Even with Earnhardt Jr.'s 5th place finish, he only picked up 5 points on Kurt Busch, who is 12th in points and in the final Chase spot with 2 races to go before the chase. There were 9 cautions for 61 laps and 8 drivers led the race with 12 lead changes.
Race Results on my Bristol Race Results/Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Bristol page
Race Rundown: see my Bristol Glen Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(8-25-2007)

Roush to sell off one team, then help: In 2010, Roush Fenway Racing will have to shrink from five cars to four, but Jack Roush already has a plan in mind: Sell the fifth car to a group of investors as what he called "seed corn" for an investor-controlled four-car team owned and funded by a group outside of Roush but fueled with Roush crews and technology. "It shouldn't go without notice that we are unabated in our effort to find and identify new drivers and to build our crews and teams with outsiders to the extent that we can and advance them through the programs as they get experience," Roush said. "We're on a track to be able to help somebody come in and provide the technology and the manpower to get them started."(Ford Racing)(8-18-2007)

Edwards Wrecks in Late Model Race: UPDATE 4: An accident during a late model race at I-80 Speedway near Lincoln, Nebraska sent #99-Carl Edwards to an Omaha area hospital Sunday night with what appear to be minor injuries. Edwards was racing as part of a ‘Carl Edwards’ promotion for the Speedway and was scheduled to appear with his brother Kenny and father Carl Sr. The accident happened while racing in the 25 lap Super Late Model ‘A’ main Feature on a restart after the event’s single caution only a few laps in. A car slowed in the front of the field sending another car into the backstretch wall. Edwards crashed into the second car setting off a melee that involved 11 of the 28 cars in the field. Edwards was able to walk from his car to his hauler where paramedics treated him. Shortly after he walked to an ambulance with an ice pack on his left hand. He was eventually taken by ambulance to a hospital in West Omaha for precautionary x-rays. Hospital officials, citing privacy concerns, refused to give details of Edward’s injuries but one person did say that there seemed to be no indications of any broken bones.(Cup Scene Daily)(7-23-2007)
UPDATE: [Edwards] was involved in a third-lap collision and left I-80 Speedway in the back of an ambulance. One track official said there had been talk of someone in the collision having a broken bone, and Carl's father, Carl Sr., said his son's hand "looked broken." Edwards started the 25-lap race on the inside of row eight and was making a charge into contention early when he hit the back of a car that had spun out and gotten into the wall along the backstretch. A 10-car pileup ensued and left Edwards' car mangled. He walked to his trailer, where he received medical attention for nearly 20 minutes before emerging with a bag draped around his right hand. He gave the crowd one last wave before getting into the back of the ambulance. Younger brother Kenny Edwards said Carl had been transferred to Lakeside Hospital in Omaha and was awaiting results. Kenny said he thought it was a broken thumb, probably caused when it was caught in the steering wheel during the collision. Kenny Edwards suffered the same injury in the collision and was shaking hands with his left hand after the race but said it wasn't as severe as his brothers.(Omaha World-Herald)(7-23-2007)
UPDATE 2: Interviewed on Sirius Radio'sThe Morning Drive, Nick Rubek of the Omaha World-Herald said that Edwards has been diagnosed with a dislocated thumb.(7-23-2007)
UPDATE 3: [Edwards] is not testing today at the Milwaukee Mile and will not test a Busch Series car Tuesday at Bristol Motor Speedway but likely will race this weekend in the Busch and Nextel Cup events in Indianapolis. The Roush Fenway Racing driver was having his right hand examined today by a specialist in Columbia, Mo., to determine if there were any injuries, according to the team.(SceneDaily.com)(7-23-2007)
UPDATE 4: The early diagnosis for Edwards was a dislocated right thumb. Edwards also consulted a physician July 23rd in Columbia, Missouri, which confirmed the same.(Roush-Fenway PR)(7-24-2007)

Roush COT Testing in Full Swing: Entering this weekend's USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicago, Ford and Roush finally look like a match for the Chevys. "The big thing that has helped us with the Car of Tomorrow is we now have a test team," [Jack] Roush said. "We are doing the things I thought we weren't going to be allowed to do when NASCAR told us we couldn't take tires from the racetrack because they didn't want us to test. I thought they would put teeth in that, but they didn't. We got behind. But five weeks ago I hired six people and dedicated a tractor-trailer [for testing]. We've been to Iowa, Milwaukee four times in the last month, and Road Atlanta and VIR [Virginia International Raceway]." Roush's three 2007 victories have come with NASCAR's current car, and the Chicagoland race also will feature the current car. But if Roush Fenway is going to compete with the Chevy teams for the championship, it will have to have a strong COT program. "We're not caught up yet," Roush said. "But we're certainly on the path, and we'll be heard from more before the year is over."(Tampa Tribune)(7-13-2007)

New York Investors Looking for Cup Teams: The buzz in the garage in New Hampshire is that at least two New York-based investment banking firms have been making the rounds among Nextel Cup teams, looking to invest in one or more teams, eventually taking a race team public with a stock offering. So far, there have been no takers among the NASCAR team owners. At least one of the investment firms has talked with multiple teams in the garage, including Robert Yates Racing [#38 & #88], Dale Earnhardt, Inc. [#1, #8, #15] and Roush Fenway Racing [#6, #16, #17, #26, #99], multiple sources said. The idea has been for the companies to make cash investments of upwards of $50 million in a team and then at some point sell their interests, perhaps by public stock offering. “We looked at their business plan and it didn’t make sense to us,” said Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith, who confirmed his team had been contacted by a New York-based investment fund that he did not identify by name. Robert Yates talked extensively with the potential investors and reached the same conclusion. “You sit in a room with about 20 bankers and you spend about 18 hours in there with them and you realize that they didn’t contribute anything to the gross national product except maybe going to the bathroom,” said Yates, who also has entertained merger and/or partnership offers from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Robby Gordon Motorsports and Hall of Fame Racing, among others, before deciding to go it alone. Another team principal who spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday morning at New Hampshire, said the team he works with was approached by investors, but chose not to get involved with them, either. “They had a ton of money, but they didn’t know anything at all about racing,” he said, adding the team was not in need of a cash infusion and would only consider an outside investor if that investor could add significant value to the team.(SPEEDtv.com)(7-2-2007)

Lumber Liquidators and Gillette to sponsor #99 at NHIS, images: Roush Fenway Racing announced that Boston Red Sox sponsors, Lumber Liquidators and Gillette, have signed on as sponsors of the #99 Ford Fusion driven by Nextel Cup driver Carl Edwards during this weekend's race at New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS). The companies will celebrate their relationship with the Boston Red Sox and NASCAR fans by featuring the Red Sox logo on the #99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion during the race in Loudon, N.H. on July 1. As Red Sox sponsors Lumber Liquidators and Gillette have secured the rights to utilize Boston Red Sox marks for marketing and promotional activation. These rights allow the companies to feature the Red Sox logo on the #99 Ford Fusion and Edwards as a means of further leveraging their association with the Red Sox through regional sponsorship of Roush Fenway Racing at Loudon. In addition to being highlighted on the Roush Fenway Racing entry, the sponsors will look to reach a broader audience of NASCAR fans by tapping into Roush Fenway Racing's public relations and marketing services. With this agreement, Lumber Liquidators, the largest independent retailer of hardwood flooring in the country, is expanding it's involvement in NASCAR after entering the Craftsman Truck Series as a team sponsor [#30-Todd Bodine] in 2006. To celebrate Roush Fenway Racing competing for the first time at NHIS under their new name this weekend, the Boston Red Sox will host Roush Fenway Racing Day at Fenway Park presented by Gillette on Friday, June 29 as the Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers. Festivities will include Roush Fenway Racing themed displays and exhibits throughout the ballpark as well as a special pre-game ceremony that will formally introduce Red Sox Nation to the drivers of Roush Fenway Racing. On Monday, July 2 fans are invited to visit the #99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion at the Lumber Liquidators Braintree location located at 240 Wood Road. The show car will be on display between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. In addition, Mike Lowell of the Boston Red Sox will make a special appearance between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 pm. You can also see the #99 Lumber Liquidators/Red Sox Ford Fusion paint scheme by logging on to lumberliquidators.com.(Roush Fenway Racing PR) and see some images of the car on my #99 Team Schemes page.(6-28-2007)

Sponsor announcement for Roush next week in Boston UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing to make a major announcement around the upcoming NASCAR race at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 1st. Roush Fenway Racing owners Jack Roush and John Henry are joined by #99-Carl Edwards on Thursday, June 28 at 10:00am/et, Fenway Park in Boston, MA.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(6-20-2007)
UPDATE: This weekend the #99 will run a special New England-themed paint scheme. Edwards and his Roush Fenway Racing teammates will participate in the pre-game ceremonies this Friday, June 29 at Fenway Park. All five drivers, along with team co-owners Jack Roush and John Henry will be on hand as the Boston Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers.(Roush Racing PR)
AND on the New Hampshire Entry List, the sponsor is listed as Lumber Liquidators.(6-26-2007)

Edwards buddy to lose beard on SPEEDs Trackside Friday: Tom Giacchi, a childhood friend and motorcoach driver for #99-Carl Edwards, will shave for the first time since Nov. 6, 2005 when he takes the stage Friday for Trackside on SPEED this weekend from Sonoma at 6:00pm/et [just before Nextel Qualifying at 7:00pm/et]. Trackside, hosted by Steve Byrnes, Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond and NASCAR driver Elliott Sadler. Giacchi, playfully known as "The Yeti," gained popularity around the motor sports community, including sporting his own Web site (www.tomgiacchi.com) and fan club, when he committed to growing his facial hair until Edwards scored his next victory. Edwards went 52 races between victories, before winning last weekend in Michigan.(SPEED PR)(6-22-2007)

Carl Edwards wins at Michigan: #99-Carl Edwards won the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan International Speedway in his 100th career starts. It is Edward's 5th career win and first win since he won at Texas in November 2005, 52 races ago. Tom Giacchi, pit runner for the #99, he can now shave his ZZ Top like beard, Giacchi has not shaved since Edwards last win [has done a little trimming]. Edwards led 63 of the 200 laps. #1-Truex, Jr. was dominant early in the race, but couldn't catch Edwards late and finished 2nd. #20-Stewart was third, followed by #25- Mears, #8- Earnhardt, Jr, #5- Busch, #29- Harvick, , #26-McMurray, #24-Gordon, and #55-Waltrip. #48-Johnson was running in 3rd when he ran out of gas with 7 laps to go. He finished 19th. There were 4 cautions for 19 laps and 11 leaders with 22 lead changes.
Race Results on my Michigan Race Results / Awards page
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Michigan page
Race Rundown: see my Michigan Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(6-17-2007)

Roush: Aflac deal could be sign of things to come: Jack Roush says that his team's new partnership with Aflac could highlight how future sponsorships will work in the sport. The company is sponsoring eight Nextel Cup races as primary sponsor for #16-Greg Biffle this season. It is also sponsoring four Busch Series races with drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray. It's a business move that gives the company access to four of the organization's drivers. "The time may be waning when a new sponsor could come into our business and understand how to make their marketing program be configured in order to give them the value for a full schedule," Roush said Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "I think that the way that Aflac is coming in with a limited schedule, with some races in the Busch as well as the Cup side with multiple drivers I think is a prudent way to do it."(SceneDaily.com)(6-16-2007)

Roush not interested in Busch: His ride gone for next season and then his agent, #5-Kyle Busch faces more changes. He'll search for a new ride and could be barred from some Hendrick Motorsports team meetings [as Brian Vickers was in 2006] even as he tries to make the title chase. Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. replaces him next year, Busch wouldn't mope about his situation Friday at Michigan International Speedway. "I'm interested in talking to ... whoever's got an open seat," Busch said before qualifying third for Sunday's race. "Let's sit down. Let's have dinner." Many owners are expected to answer, but not Jack Roush, for whom Busch drove before moving to Hendrick in 2003. "I am not interested in Kyle Busch," Roush said. "I've been there and I've done that."(Roanoke Times)(6-16-2007)

100th career start for Edwards: #99-Carl Edwards will make his 100th Nextel Cup Series start this weekend at Michigan. Edwards made his Cup Series debut at Michigan in August 2004 – started that race 23rd and finished 10th.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(6-14-2007)

Roush to test COT more: Ford team-owner Jack Roush [#6,16,17,26,99] will use B.F. Goodrich and/or Hoosier tires to test his Car of Tomorrow fleet on non-Nextel Cup tracks in coming months. The team owner believes Roush Fenway Racing is slightly behind rivals that are skirting the spirit of NASCAR’s testing policies. By rule, Cup teams are limited to a handful of closely-monitored official tests. Teams must test together at the same Cup venue, and on Goodyear Eagles. But several organizations have gotten around that limit by using Goodrich and/or Hoosiers for unofficial testing at outside tracks. “NASCAR wanted to start everybody in the Car of Tomorrow on an even basis, with [the same] four or five tests,” Roush said at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “Well, the teams that have been successful—the Hendrick organization, the Gibbs organization and the Childress organization—have tested their cars multiple times a week. They’ve gone to tracks outside NASCAR’s control with tires that were not from Goodyear. Right now, Goodyear is sitting on millions of dollars worth of tires that are growing obsolete and hard in their warehouses. Teams have gotten around NASCAR’s policy by buying other people’s tires and testing at tracks that aren’t on the Nextel Cup schedule. I got behind on that; I didn’t do that. But two weeks ago I hired six people and dedicated a tractor-trailer, and I’ve gone public. ‘OK, I’m getting in the testing game, too.’ If you don’t want us to test, have us sign something in the application. Something that says, ‘We agree we won’t test with Goodyears or anybody else’s tires, except for the tracks that NASCAR approves.’ But they didn’t do that; they left the door open and we got behind… but we’re going to catch up.” Strictly speaking, there’s nothing illegal about what the Hendrick, Gibbs and Childress teams are doing. Jeff Gordon, who’s won two CoT races—teammate Jimmie Johnson has won two and Kyle Busch the other—said Hendrick Motorsports shouldn’t apologize for its CoT success. “If the Roush teams aren’t doing that, then that’s their mistake,” the series points-leader said. “We’re doing everything we can to be competitive and we’re not doing anything wrong. It’s definitely playing a role in helping us get to where we are.”(Ford Racing)(5-29-2007)

Roush, Red Sox Plan New England Bash: The first major collaboration to come from the partnership between Fenway Sports Group and the former Roush Racing will take place next month in Boston and New Hampshire with an event called Roush Fenway Days. Roush Fenway Racing will have two days of activities at Fenway Park June 28-29, culminating with a baseball game between The Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers on June 29th. “We’re having our midyear sponsor summit there, followed by the game,” said Roush Fenway President Geoff Smith. “We’re having our big racing displays and event displays, like you would here at a racetrack, surround the park and be somewhat in the park. People get to participate in batting practice and there will be a big P.R. rollout inside the park with the drivers and players and so forth.” From there, Smith said, the action will move to New Hampshire International Speedway, site of the Lenox Industrial Tools 300 NASCAR Nextel Cup race July 1. “I think you’ll see one of our cars with a special paint scheme and some special guests,” said Smith. “It’ll integrate NASCAR and the whole Fenway Red Sox experience kind of all in one big weekend.” Smith also said the team is close to announcing a title sponsor to the event.(SPEEDtv.com)(5-28-2007)

2007 Official Small Business of NASCAR Announced: Office Depot announced that Kentuckiana Engineering Company, Inc. (KEC) of Louisville, KY, will be the "Official Small Business of NASCAR, courtesy of Office Depot" for the remainder of the 2007 Nextel Cup race season. KEC owner Bryan Handy was introduced by Office Depot Senior Vice President Tony Ueber today during a press event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Ueber and Handy were joined by driver Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing owner Jack Roush, ESPN Vice President of Sports Management Rob Temple and NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Marketing Jim O'Connell. Handy helped Edwards unveil the special edition Office Depot #99 car featuring the logo of KEC. The logo will make its on-track debut during the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. As the "Official Small Business of NASCAR," KEC, an environmental consulting company specializing in air quality issues, is receiving invaluable exposure on television. Handy worked with Logoworks, part of the Office Depot Design, Print & Ship Depot, to create KEC's first-ever company logo, which will be on the TV panel (rear panel on a NASCAR racecar) of the #99 Office Depot Ford Fusion during this weekend's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Throughout the rest of the season, the logo will be on the car's b-post (located between the front and rear windows). As part of the prize package given to KEC, Office Depot is printing a year's supply of new business cards, letterhead and envelopes. The Office Depot Design, Print & Ship service is also designing a new website for KEC that will showcase its newly-created logo. Plus, KEC receives a $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot, a tour of the ESPN at-track production operation, and a special marketing consultation with representatives from NASCAR to help guide KEC on how take advantage of their new business assets. One of the new and exciting elements of this year's promotion is the additional television exposure for KEC. ESPN is showcasing KEC as the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" during a segment on the ESPN2 show "NASCAR Now." (Office Depot site)(5-25-2007)

Carl Edwards' Busch Win is Roush Fenway's 350th Overall: Carl Edwards drove the #60 Dish Network Ford home to his second Busch Series win of the 2007 season in Nashville over the weekend and at the same time, hit a milestone for Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards' second consecutive win gave Roush Fenway their 350th overall win. Of the 350 wins Jack Roush has obtained, 234 of them have been wins in NASCAR's three elite series (Nextel Cup - 101; Busch Series - 90; Craftsman Truck Series - 43). Of the 101 Nextel Cup wins, 96 of them have been point races while the other five have come from wins in the Bud Shootout (1), The Winston (1), The Winston Open (1) and the Nextel All-Star Challenge (2). In the Busch and Truck Series, Roush Fenway's 90 and 43 wins respectively, make Roush the most winning owner of any other owner in both of those series. In addition to the 234 wins, Roush has also collected 116 road racing victories bringing Roush Fenway Racing's win column total to 350.(Roush Fenway PR)(4-9-2007)

Roush Not Gloating Over Toyota's Woes: After all the buildup from Detroit rivals about the Toyota monster crushing NASCAR competition, the season so far has seen quite the opposite, with most Toyota teams struggling just to make the fields. But [Jack] Roush isn't backing away from his quite vocal worries. "I'm not going to gloat over what's happened, or take any glee in it," Roush said, "because it's hard to start a new program, around new people and new drivers and a new manufacturer. And this year's hardware issues (like the car of tomorrow) make it triple tough. I didn't expect Toyota to be a factor early on. But the comments I've made were not based on what I looked for in the first half of 2007, or even all of 2007, but rather 2008, 2009 and beyond will be a very good time for Toyota, if they continue to have the money they now have available to get the people and technologies. Toyota will get it right ... and they will put the rest of us in the back, unless NASCAR is vigilant in its effort to protect against unlimited amounts of money coming into this sport and buying everything of value from the existing teams. If Toyota can do that, there will be an upset the likes of which we have never seen. Right now the good news for the established teams is that the good drivers have all been under contract, and the good crew chiefs and the best crewmen have not been willing to take a chance on an upstart team or a new program. But as time goes on, as the Toyota teams get their legs under them and start to consistently qualify, the more those people who have the talents to make a difference in the programs will be inclined to consider the generous offers they've made- offers that will escalate as time goes on."(Winston-Salem Journal)(4-8-2007)

Roush Fenway must lose team by 2010: Roush Fenway Racing will have to decrease its number of Nextel Cup teams from five to four by the start of the 2010 season, team president Geoff Smith said Saturday. NASCAR announced in 2005 that it would limit organizations to four fulltime Cup teams and that it would work with Roush to get down from four to five. Originally, the agreement was that once Roush lost a sponsor and driver at the same time, it would have to get down to four. "That [original discussion] triggered a loop that made the shrinkage date unpredictable, so it was [changed to] very simply, when the 2010 season starts, you'll have four," Smith said. "We have to be at four at the start of 2010, regardless of what happens to us in the interim, if we lose a driver, lose a sponsor." Smith indicated that his contracts are solid through the 2009 season. He also said in the perfect world, Roush would sell one of the teams. "We've got three more years to sell one of our teams off," Smith said. "Hopefully, we can retain some business with that sale."(SceneDaily.com)(3-24-2007)

Put Carl Edwards to Work: For the third year, Office Depot is running the "Small Business of NASCAR" program, giving small businesses the potential for big exposure. A new element in this year's promotion brings Nextel Cup Series driver, Carl Edwards and the Office Depot show car to the winning business where the small business owner may even decide to put Edwards to work for the day! Edwards, a small business owner himself as the entrepreneur behind a new record label Back 40 Records, fully understands the impact that effective marketing and national exposure can have on the potential success of a business. For more information on the Small Business of NASCAR promotion or to enter, please visit www.officedepotracing.com.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(3-1-2007)

Roush Fenway Racing owner gives MLB player a...Toyota: [Boston Red Sox slugger David] Ortiz got his own present Wednesday morning. Arriving at the Red Sox minor league facility for his physical, Ortiz was greeted with a Toyota Tundra pickup, courtesy of owner John W. Henry......why is this of interest? Red Sox owner John Henry is Jack Roush's new partner at Roush-Fenway Racing, they run Ford Fusion's and Jack Roush has spoken out against Toyota's involvement in NASCAR.....oops.(Heads up at Motorsports Soapbox, full article at the Hartford Courant)(2-26-2007)

Gulf Oil shows interest in Roush-Fenway: Roush Racing's 50-50 partnership with John Henry's Fenway Sports Group, finally announced last week at Daytona International Speedway, might show an immediate return. One of the Boston Red Sox's longtime partners, Gulf Oil, has expressed an interest in a sponsorship position with Roush. Gulf, a Fenway Sports Group client based in Chelsea, Mass., distributes motor fuels and lubricants in about 2,600 branded gas stations, with a footprint that extends from Ohio to the east and Delaware to the north. The company's 65-foot logo is painted on the left-field wall at Fenway Park. "NASCAR really never made sense for us before because it is a national play and we're a regional company," said Richard Dery, Gulf's vice president of branded marketing and sales. "A race at Daytona doesn't do us a lot of good, but a race at Loudon, N.H. -- that could be a really fun day." Dery said his discussions with Roush have involved sponsorships for select races in Gulf's footprint, primarily the July 1 Lenox 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Gulf also could become the official motor oil of Roush Fenway Racing. Fenway Sports Group and the Red Sox are sister companies, both owned by John Henry, who said he hoped the partnership with Roush would vault FSG into a prominent position in sports marketing.(Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service)(2-23-2007)

Roush Racing & Fenway Sports Group partner up: Today, during Speedweeks in Daytona Beach, Fla., Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) announced the formation of Roush Fenway Racing. Under the agreement, FSG will purchase 50% of Roush Racing to form the new entity. Jack Roush will continue to manage the competitive operations of the race teams and Geoff Smith will continue as president to oversee business activities. FSG will support Roush Fenway Racing’s marketing and sales activities by using their experience, network of relationships, and powerful demographic base to add value to Roush Fenway Racing sponsors and help Roush Fenway Racing maintain an unsurpassed position among NASCAR teams on and off the track.
“This partnership will bring a whole new perspective to our business,” said Jack Roush. “There is a lot of hard work that goes into being successful in sport. John Henry and FSG understand what it takes. Anybody that has watched the Red Sox has been impressed with their tenacity and their ability to prevail after all the frustration. To be able to have someone to bounce ideas and strategies off of will be fun. Everyone at Roush Racing is excited to welcome our new partner and we look forward to our success together.”
“This is an unprecedented partnership of two extremely successful organizations with proven track records for winning in their respective businesses and sports,” said Mike Dee, chief operating officer of the Boston Red Sox and president of Fenway Sports Group. “We believe in NASCAR and like its long-term business future and are thrilled to be a part of this exciting and growing industry.”
The new Roush Fenway Racing logo will make its track debut at Daytona International Speedway beginning Thursday, February 15 during the Gatorade 150 qualifying races. All of Roush Fenway Racing’s 13 teams will be competing throughout the weekend.
Off the track, the Roush Fenway Racing focus will be to continue to service its world-class sponsorship base which includes such great companies as; DeWalt Power Tools, Diageo (Crown Royal), AAA, Office Depot, Ameriquest Mortgage Company, 3M, Ford Motor Company, Northern Tool + Equipment, Dish Network, Discount Tire and Coca Cola, whose sponsorships Roush supports with public relations, licensing, event marketing and account management services.
Geoff Smith summed up the overall goal by saying, “We wholeheartedly believe that the addition of FSG, and the incorporation of its expertise and demographic power will insure that Roush Fenway Racing will indefinitely preserve our pre-eminent position among NASCAR teams both on and off the track.” FSG’s core strengths include property representation and acquisitions, entertainment marketing, sponsorships and consulting services. For more information please visit FenwaySportsGroup.com.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(2-14-2007)

Fenway Sports Group/Roush deal completed, announced the 14th: A group of investors led by Boston Red Sox owner John Henry has completed a deal to buy a 50% stake in the Roush Racing NASCAR team, a person familiar with the negotiations said Friday. Although team owner Jack Roush is selling half of the team to the Fenway Sports Group, Roush will continue to run the team's competitive operations, according to the person, who requested anonymity because the deal hasn't been announced. Both parties have scheduled a Feb. 14 news conference at Jackie Robinson Ballpark [105 E. Orange Ave., Daytona Beach], a minor league facility near Daytona International Speedway. Roush, who was wearing his trademark fedora as he supervised his drivers at Daytona International Speedway on Friday evening, declined comment.(Associated Press)
also Roush Racing announced a major announcement with Roush Racing and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) executives; Red Sox players and Roush Racing drivers on Wednesday, February 14 at 5:30pm/et(Roush Racing PR)(2-10-2007)

Ragan to test at Infineon Raceway UPDATE: #6-David Ragan will make his first-ever visit to Infineon Raceway on Friday, working with instructors from the Jim Russell Racing Schools. Ragan, who has limited road-racing experience, has never traversed the twists and turns of Infineon Raceway's 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. He'll be coached by Mark Wolocatiuk, the lead instructor of the Jim Russell Racing Schools. Wolocatiuk has coached NASCAR drivers like Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears and Bill Elliott, over the years. The Jim Russell Racing Schools has been based at Infineon Raceway since 1996. "I'm definitely looking forward to the road courses," said Ragan, whose limited experience on road courses includes Legends Cars testing in Atlanta and Virginia. "You've got guys like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon who are veterans and they make it look easy. I just want to get some track time and become familiar with it so I'm better prepared when we come out there in June." Ragan (AAA Ford Fusion) will drive the serpentine circuit in one of the school's open-wheel cars, and there is the possibility of testing an American Speed Association stock car. Ragan, who drives for Roush Racing, will also receive plenty of classroom instruction. "We're really hoping to get David familiar with the track," Wolocatiuk said. "The elevation changes and off-camber nature of Infineon Raceway will be important for him to understand and deal with in a heavy and high-horsepowered stock car." Ragan will test on Friday, and then get some additional seat time on Saturday. The Nextel Cup Series visits Infineon Raceway June 22-24 for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. For tickets, call 800-870-RACE or visit www.infineonraceway.com.(Infineon Raceway PR)(2-2-2007)
UPDATE: #99-Carl Edwards and #6-David Ragan spent Friday afternoon testing the twists and turns of Infineon Raceway in preparation for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Nextel Cup Series race, June 22-24. It was the first time on the road course for Ragan, while Edwards has two starts in Sonoma, including a career-best finish of sixth place in 2006. Both piloted American Speed Association (ASA) stock cars supplied by Pioneer Motorsports out of Lake Oroville. The drivers were coached by Mark Wolocatiuk, lead instructor at the Jim Russell Racing Schools, which is based at Infineon Raceway. Edwards and Ragan, a rookie, each completed around 40 laps over the serpentine circuit. Both drive for Roush Racing. Ragan has limited road-racing experience, while Edwards placed 38th in his rookie season at Infineon Raceway in 2005 and sixth last year after starting 20th.(Infineon Raceway PR)(2-3-2007)

Edwards going for the triple at Daytona: Carl Edwards is looking to kick off the 2007 season with a bang at Daytona International Speedway. Edwards, who drives the #99 Office Depot Ford in the Cup Series and the #60 Scotts Ford in the Busch Series, has signed up to race Roush Racing's #50 Ford in the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night. Edwards will run a handful of truck races throughout the 2007 season (the schedule is TBD) while Peter Shepherd drives the truck for the remaining races. The #50 truck that the two will share is still yet to be sponsored but Edwards is confident a new sponsor partner will come on board. Edwards and Shepherd will join truck teammates #99-Erik Darnell and #6-Travis Kvapil to round out the 2007 Roush Racing truck lineup.(Roush Racing PR)(1-29-2007)

Office Depot extends with with NASCAR: Office Depot announced that it has extended its sponsorship of NASCAR as the sport's Official Office Products Partner. Office Depot's exclusive relationship with NASCAR began in 2005 and has been supported by the successful sponsorships of the #99 Office Depot Ford, Roush Racing and driver Carl Edwards. During its first year in the sport, Office Depot received the NASCAR "Marketer of the Year Award." The award recognized Office Depot for its multi-channel program that leveraged NASCAR to help differentiate the Office Depot brand and connect with millions of potential customers and business owners who are fans of the sport.(Office Depot/Edelman PR)(1-24-2007)

Negotiations progressing between Roush and Red Sox owner UPDATE 2: The negotiations in the sale of a portion of Roush Racing to Boston Red Sox owner John Henry's Fenway Sports Group are progressing well, Roush Racing President Geoff Smith said Saturday. Many of the major points have been agreed upon since the negotiations began in earnest in September. "The big principal points, that's all buttoned up," Smith said. "I think by the first of the year, we'll [know]. We're going along pretty fast. By Daytona for sure." One of those pieces involves what percentage of the racing organization the Fenway Sports Group will own. Jack Roush will not relinquish control of the team. "We have been open to being all the way up to equal [partners], but not more than equal [for them],"(SceneDaily.com)(11-19-2006)
UPDATE: the [Red] Sox deal for a half-interest in Roush Racing, the class of NASCAR racing, is done. Reported price: $62 million. Formal announcement to follow.(at the bottom of a Boston Globe article)(1-5-2007)
UPDATE 2: Jack Roush says his deal with the Fenway Sports Group is not complete, but his Roush Racing team has scheduled a "BIG" announcement Feb. 14 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach. That would be an appropriate place for Roush to announce that he has partnered with FSG, the marketing arm of Boston Red Sox owner John Henry. Roush said the contracts are in the hands of the lawyers, and he would expect a decision by the end of March. He indicated that there could be a name change to the team. FSG has been negotiating with Roush for about the last five or six months. Roush said FSG's ownership role could be anywhere from 25 to 50%.(SceneDaily.com)(1-24-2007)

Edward's crew chief to receive award from Penn State: In recognition of his outstanding professional accomplishments, Bob Osborne, crew chief of the #99 Office Depot Ford, will receive Penn State University's Alumni Achievement Award for 2006. The award is sponsored by the Alumni Association at Penn State University and is presented to one person from each college at Penn State (a total of 10). Osborne is receiving his award as a member of the engineering college. "It's pretty cool to be recognized by your alma matter for your accomplishments," said Osborne. "I'm proud to be associated with and recognized by such a great institution. I definitely have to credit some of my success to the great education I received at Penn State." This is the third year the award has been given. The award is presented in an effort to demonstrate, particularly to students, that Penn State alumni can succeed in exceptional fashion at an early age and that it does not necessarily take a lifetime to make one's mark on society. Osborne has certainly done that. With his work as an engineer and crew chief at Roush Racing, Osborne continues to make history with drivers such as Carl Edwards. "I'm really proud of Bob", said Edwards. "He's a really smart person and he's had a lot of success in a short amount of time so I think it's awesome that Penn State would recognize that." Since 1997, crew chief Bob Osborne has worked his way up the NASCAR ladder of success. Patience, drive and determination have helped land Osborne in the coveted position of Nextel Cup crew chief for Carl Edwards and the #99 Office Depot team.(Roush Racing PR)(1-7-2007)

2006 News

Edwards Comments on Johnson's Accident: For those who have criticized #48-Jimmie Johnson for fooling around and falling off a golf cart, #99-Carl Edwards says let's get real. "To be honest with you I´m a little disgusted with the media and some of their reactions to that. It´s pretty amazing. I tried to get Jimmie to go motorcycle riding with me about three weeks into the Chase and he´s like, Carl, I´m focused on winning this championship, I´m not taking any risks. I thought that said a lot about Jimmie´s focus and his ability to sacrifice. To me, if the dude wants to go ride around on golf carts...on top of them or underneath of them or skiing on a rope behind them, I mean he´s the champion, he won this thing, it´s his off season so he can do whatever he wants. I think it´s cool to think Jimmie Johnson was on top of a golf cart goofing around. I mean, you name a person in that garage area that hasn´t goofed around on a golf cart and I´ll give you a hundred dollars."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(12-14-2006)

Edwards Involved with New Record Label: #99-Carl Edwards has a new passion, a record label called Back 40 Records. "I'd come home and my little brother and my buddies would give me these CDs that people were making and they'd have to go to Kansas City or St. Louis to record stuff," he said. "It cost too much for them to do on a regular basis. And we all were just sitting there at the house and we thought, why don't we just take this room of the house and make it a recording studio? And it's turned into a lot of fun." The label name comes from Edwards' days in Columbia when he and his friends would race junk cars. "We'd have all these cars together and go race them out in this field that my buddy called his Back 40 because it was his back 40 acres," he said. Edwards' personal musical tastes range from Johnny Cash to Jewel to Metallica to Jay-Z. The first CD, "That One CD," will be released in a few weeks. It is a compilation of songs by six different artists with musical styles including hip hop, R&B and acoustic rock. More info is available at www.back40records.com.(York Dispatch)(12-12-2006)

Osbourne reunites with Edwards starting at Phoenix; Brown to the #26 then JGR: Roush Racing crew chief Bob Osbourne will return to the #99 Office Depot Ford and reunite with driver Carl Edwards, effective immediately, Roush Racing president Geoff Smith confirmed for ESPN.com Wednesday. "That's true. We're making the move in preparation for [2007]," Smith said. Osbourne began the 2006 season as crew chief of the #99, but in April team owner Jack Roush made the decision to shake up his Nextel Cup Series crew chief lineup, sending Osbourne to direct Jamie McMurray's struggling #26 team. In doing so, he tabbed Roush's director of engineering Wally Brown to lead Edwards' #99 program. Neither team saw marked improvement. Neither has won a race in 2006. Smith said Brown will assume the crew chief role on McMurray's team for the final two races of the 2006 season in Phoenix and Homestead, but would not crew chief in 2007. Smith said it is his understanding that Brown is headed to Joe Gibbs Racing in an engineering role. It is uncertain at this time, Smith said, who will serve as McMurray's crew chief in 2007.(ESPN.com)(11-9-2006)

New Nextel Cup GM for Roush: Max Jones, who has led the Craftsman Truck and Busch series programs at Roush Racing the past two years, was named general manager of the Nextel Cup program yesterday.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(11-6-2006)

Edwards to deliver school supplies to Katrina Affected School: On Wednesday, November 1st, #99-Carl Edwards and Office Depot are delivering more than $65,000 in classroom supplies, including 30 new Toshiba computers, to Earl Travillion Attendance Center (ETAC) in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, an elementary school that was hit by Hurricane Katrina just over one year ago. ETAC was selected out of more than two million entries nationwide as the winner of Office Depot's "Great Tools For Your School Sweeps" and will be receiving prizes including classroom supplies from Office Depot as well as Toshiba laptop computers, Sanford writing and erasing products, 3M products including overhead and LCD projectors, new Sauder desks for teachers and computer mouse products from Microsoft. Teachers will be receiving $99 Office Depot Gift Cards, the school is receiving a $9,999 scholarship and each student will receive a backpack with school supplies. Edwards will drive up in his racecar, followed by a hauler filled with the supplies and products. This will be followed by a school assembly where Edwards will present the supplies and answer students' questions.(Office Depot/Edelman PR)(10-31-2006)

Crew Chief Changes Planned at Roush Racing: Jack Roush confirmed Sunday that a multi-team, crew chief shakeup is in the works in his five-team Nextel Cup operation [#'s6,16,17,26,99], but he said he hasn't decided which crew chiefs to pair with which drivers, though veteran Jimmy Fennig "might be a good choice" for David Ragan [in the #6] next season. Will Wally Brown be back as #99-Carl Edwards' crew chief? "That's one of our dream-team packages," Roush said. "Wally Brown is one of my heroes; he's done a great job. But his dad, in Pennsylvania, isn't doing well, and Wally is missing his dad, and we've been talking, and Wally may have a change in venue, and in his career. If we lose Wally, it would be a huge loss."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-23-2006)

More on the Roush Racing/Fenway Sports Group 'deal': Team owner Jack Roush said there is not yet an offer on the table from John Henry's Fenway Sports Group as the entity discusses buying into Roush Racing with team President Geoff Smith. Roush said Friday that he's not sure when the sides will next talk but added that's not out of the ordinary. "I don't do the money very well," Roush said with a smile at Dover International Speedway. "Right now, there are discussions going on. There's not a deal on the table. There may not be a deal that makes it to the table. What do I think the chances are that John Henry will become an investor in the Roush organization? On one day it looks like the glass is a little more than half full; on other days it looks like it's definitely [less] than half full. And I don't get a report every day on what's going on." Roush said talks are sometimes conducted via email, but added that several members of FSG were at the team's North Carolina shops prior to the race at New Hampshire. If an agreement is reached, Roush said he wouldn't sell more than 50 percent of the organization to Henry's FSG, which is a separate entity from the partnership that owns the Boston Red Sox. And he said this simply isn't a way to get around NASCAR's ownership rules, which will eventually limit him to fielding four full-time Nextel Cup Series teams. If an agreement were reached, Henry would be an investor in Roush Racing, not fielding teams under the Fenway Sports Group umbrella as a separate entity. "Our plan is to operate four NASCAR stock car racing teams past this decade," Roush said. "We think if I can spread my base and do an expanded marketing and sponsorship involvement program that would have a component of interest in the Northeast that we'd be stronger through that." Anyone thinking this is Roush's way of preparing to retire is mistaken according to the owner. "For anybody that thinks Jack is looking for a way to get off stage now, or in the foreseeable future or that retirement's my plan, just hide and watch [me]," he said. "I'm not going to retire. I'm not trying to back away from the races. I'm not trying to put somebody between me and the race teams. One of my challenges my managers have on the race teams is, 'How do we get Jack out of the way so we can do what we need to do.'"(SceneDaily.com)(9-23-2006)

Boston Red Sox owner in talks to buy part of Roush: While Roush Racing president Geoff Smith isn't sure where discussions with Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and his Fenway Sports Group will lead, he doesn't envision a scenario in which Jack Roush would relinquish control of the operation. Negotiations have been ongoing throughout the summer, Smith said late Tuesday afternoon. He's not sure what percentage of the team - which competes in all three of NASCAR's national series - could be sold, if any, but expects one thing to remain the same. "I can't see Jack Roush giving up control of Roush Racing," Smith said. "I don't see that as an outcome." Roush and Henry, who heads the NESV partnership, have been friends for several years, sparking occasional rumors that Henry was looking to buy into Roush Racing. In the past, though, Smith said the two sides were just discussing marketing possibilities, not a sale. The two were seen together on Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway and Roush Racing released a statement Tuesday that confirmed discussions about selling an interest in the team were ongoing.(in part from the SceneDaily.com)
AND: According to multiple executives briefed on the negotiations, Fenway Sports Group is in talks to buy as much as 50 percent of privately held Roush Racing, the class of NASCAR, for something north of $50 million. No deal is imminent, these executives cautioned, and the negotiations, which have started and stopped before, could still falter. Both the Fenway Sports Group and Roush Racing confirmed the talks, but both said there is no agreement. Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, called the Red Sox unit "attractive partners" because of its marketing capabilities, particularly in the Northeast. Said Mike Dee, president of Fenway Sports Group: "If these discussions are fruitful, we will be happy to talk about them."(in part from the Boston Globe)
AND II: “Roush Racing confirms,” said Geoff Smith president of Roush Racing, “It has entered into discussions to sell an interest in Roush Racing to Fenway Sports Group, Boston. Should these discussions ultimately materialize into a definitive agreement Roush Racing will provide further information on the topic.”(Roush Racing PR)(9-19-2006)

Pocono Combatants Called in by NASCAR to talk: #20-Tony Stewart, #07-Clint Bowyer and #99-Carl Edwards were called to the NASCAR hauler Saturday for a chat with NASCAR president Mike Helton. Those three drivers were involved in a crash two weeks ago at Pocono when Stewart deliberately turned into Bowyer, causing Bowyer to hit Edwards. No one was saying exactly what was discussed, but no doubt Helton warned the drivers to mind their manners today in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.(Dallas Morning News)(8-6-2006)

Edwards not expecting another crew chief change: In a national teleconference Tuesday morning, #99-Carl Edwards said the team had just had a meeting and that it appeared that crew chief Bob Osborne would remain with Edwards' teammate #26-Jamie McMurray and Wally Brown would stay with Edwards. Edwards started the season with Osborne and McMurray with Jimmy Fennig, but an early-season switch moved Fennig into another role, Osborne to McMurray and Brown to Edwards. At the time, the team said it would revisit the changes in 90 days to see if Osborne and Edwards would be reunited. "The thinking of that is that either guy would be great, but right now, change for either of us may set us back farther than any long-term benefits to the change," said Edwards, who is 13th in points and trying to move into the top 10 and Chase-For-The-Nextel-Cup contention. Asked if he wanted to switch back, Edwards admitted he didn't want to make the first change. "Honestly, I did not want to switch when we first did it just for the simple reasoning that, hey, we were running well and Bob and I had had great success together, and I didn't want to change anything," Edwards said. "And [team owner] Jack Roush decided that he thought it would be a decent change to make, and it could help Roush Racing as a whole. I agreed with it just like everybody else, and we've worked hard, and Wally has not made many - Wally hasn't made any mistakes. He's done a great job, and it just doesn't seem like changing back just to change back is the right thing to do right now."(SceneDaily.com)(7-19-206)

Osborne back to the #99? Despite an early season shakeup that saw him lose his crew chief to teammate #26-Jamie McMurray, #99-Carl Edwards heads into Sunday's race at Chicagoland Speedway just outside the top 10 in the Nextel Cup standings. And now, team owner Jack Roush might reunite Edwards with crew chief Bob Osborne for the stretch run to NASCAR's version of the playoffs. In an attempt to spark his team's performance, Roush made another of his trademark crew chief swaps in April, moving Osborne from Edwards' #99 team to McMurray's #26. Wally Brown, the lead engineer on Edwards' team, was promoted to become Edwards' new crew chief. But those moves might turn out to be temporary. Edwards said Saturday that Roush made the moves on a 90-day provisional basis, and expects to meet with Roush soon to re-evaluate the changes. "The 90 days is up this week, so I don't know exactly what we're going to do," Edwards said. "I'm sure we'll have a meeting about it. Hopefully I get a say in this one." And if Edwards does have his say, will he ask to have Osborne back or stick with Brown? "I don't know yet," Edwards said. "I just have to sit down and think about it. I've been trying to just go along and work and not worry about it too much. I guess we'll just all sit down and talk as a group - we all know each other really well - and decide what's best for everybody and go on." Roush said reuniting Edwards with Osborne is a possibility. "There is a chance," Roush said. "It's not been on my mind, but there is a chance." Roush said he has been pleased with the results of his changes so far. His main goals were to have Osborne work with McMurray, who joined the team in the offseason, to get him used to driving cars that are built and set up more closely to those of his teammates.(Associated Press)(7-9-2006)

Jack Roush Honored by Ford: Jack Roush received the highest honor Ford Motor Company can bestow on anyone in racing when he was presented with the Spirit of Ford Award in front of approximately 450 employees at Ford World Headquarters Thursday. Edsel B. Ford II made the presentation during a pep rally involving many of Ford's NASCAR drivers who will be competing in the Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series races at Michigan International Speedway this weekend. Roush was hired as an engineer at Ford in 1964, but got the racing bug when he joined a group called 'The Fastbacks' two years later. The group was made up of Ford employees who competed in drag racing on weekends. Since then, Roush has won championships in all three of NASCAR's top divisions, including back-to-back Nextel Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. In addition, he has three Pro Stock drag racing championships, 24 road racing titles and 10 consecutive victories in the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The Spirit of Ford Award goes to a person who has made significant contributions on and off the track to the sport of auto racing. Other stock car recipients of the Spirit of Ford Award include: Bud Moore, the Wood Brothers, Junie Donlavey, Bill Elliott, Richard Petty, the France family, and Ned Jarrett.(Ford Racing)(6-16-2006)

K&M's Logo To Be Run on #99 at LMS: Office Depot announced that K&M Storage of Dodge City, KS, will become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR, courtesy of Office Depot" for the remainder of the 2006 Nextel Cup race season. The winning company is being celebrated at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where K&M Storage owner Duane Nietling will join with driver Carl Edwards, Roush Racing owner Jack Roush and Tony Ueber, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Office Depot, to unveil the No. 99 Office Depot Ford Fusion. The car features the new K&M Storage logo that will make its debut on track during the Coca-Cola 600. The new K&M logo is being featured on the TV panel (rear panel on a NASCAR racecar) of the #99 Office Depot Ford Fusion during this weekend's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Throughout the rest of the season, the logo will be on the car's b-post (located between the front and rear windows). As part of the prize package, Office Depot is also printing a year's supply of new business cards, letterhead and envelopes for K&M to use. Plus, K&M receives a $10,000 small business makeover from Office Depot, as well as the advice of a small business expert to K&M take full advantage of their new business and marketing assets. To kick off K&M Storage's role as the "Official Small Business of NASCAR," Nietling and three guests are spending a VIP weekend in Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600, including a tour of the Roush Racing shop, and the opportunity to meet Edwards and the Office Depot #99 team. More info on Office Depot Racing at officedepotracing.com.(PR)(5-27-2006)

(5-27-2006)

Forbes: Roush Most Valuable: Forbes magazine says Roush Racing is currently the most valuable organization in NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch series competition, with a net worth the publication estimates at $218 million. In its June 5 edition, Forbes says Roush's five Cup and six Busch entries have lined up sponsorship estimated at $108 million this year and have earned $8.3 million on the track this season. Hendrick Motorsports ranks second with a value of $146 million for four Cup and two Busch entries. Forbes calculates the team's sponsorships are producing $77 million revenue this year. Joe Gibbs Racing ranks third ($103 million), followed by Richard Childress Racing ($100 million) and Chip Ganassi Racing ($79 million).(SceneDaily.com)(5-25-2006)

Edwards pledges $100k if he wins All-Star Race: #99-Carl Edwards has pledged to donate $100,000 of his winnings should he be fortunate enough to claim the million-dollar first prize up for grabs in the 90-lap Nextel All-Star Challenge Saturday, May shootout. "Officials of organizations such as ours would probably do back-flips to get that kind of help from a single source," said Major General Thomas A. Sadler, USAF (Ret.), SCC executive director. "We'll let Carl do the back-flips, but I can tell you that we would certainly be grateful and appreciative of his generosity should he be fortunate enough to win the All-Star race." Sadler was referring to Edwards' trademark post-race celebration of doing a back-flip off the side of his racecar after each win. The 26-year-old Roush driver isn't the only one pledging financial support to SCC programs should he win Saturday's race. Bruton Smith, chairman of the board of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI), has said he will match the $100,000 donation with an Edwards victory. More info about Speedway Children's Charities at speedwaycharities.org.(SCC PR)(5-20-2006)

Humpy Picks Edwards to win All-Star Race: H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, thinks #99-Carl Edwards, just four years removed from those rough-and-tumble short-track wars, will collect the $1 million prize Saturday night for winning the 22nd running of NASCAR's NEXTEL All-Star Challenge annual all-star spectacular. Wheeler named Edwards as his selection Monday during his annual pick-the-winner press conference in downtown Charlotte. Known for his promotional flair and Karnac-type ability, Wheeler has correctly picked the winner of the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge 10 times in the past 17 races. Its three-segment format-40 laps, 30 laps and 20 laps-and the $1 million first-place prize combine to make the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge NASCAR's most unique race. Staying with his short-track theme, Wheeler selected former USAC open-wheel star #9-Kasey Kahne as his dark horse pick. Even though he finished second to Mark Martin in last year's NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, #38-Elliott Sadler has not visited victory lane since 2004 and thus is not qualified for this year's all-star race. Wheeler says the Emporia, Va., native will remedy that by winning the NEXTEL Open. Veteran #21-Ken Schrader is Wheeler's dark horse selection for the Open. On-track activities for the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge kick off Friday night with qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the NEXTEL Open. In addition to qualifying, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will compete in the Quaker Steak & Lube 200. Tickets start at $20. Tickets start at $21 and may be obtained by calling 1-800-455-FANS or online at lowesmotorspeedway.com.(LMS PR)(5-16-2006)

Horseshoe works for Edwards: #99-Carl Edwards’ fourth-place finish gave him a boost, as did his fan club. “My fan club gave us a horseshoe,” he said, “and we mounted it on the tool box. I think that really helped a lot.”(Gaston Gazette)(4-24-2006)

Crew Chief Changes at Roush UPDATE Edwards comments: Roush Racing sources told NASCAR.com on Thursday that two of its Nextel Cup teams will have new crew chiefs at Phoenix next week. Bob Osborne will assume crew chief duties for the #26 team and driver Jamie McMurray. Osborne moves from the #99 car, where he helped Carl Edwards to a third-place finish in the point standings last year. Roush Racing's lead engineer, Wally Brown [not Rogers], will take over the #99 team. Brown also has been a crew chief in the Busch Series with Kevin Harvick Inc. Jimmy Fennig, who was the crew chief for McMurray, now will head Roush's Busch Series program. Fennig was the crew chief for Kurt Busch when he won the 2004 Nextel Cup championship.(NASCAR.com)
MORE: In an effort to help strengthen overall racing operations and position the organization for continued success, Roush Racing announced several personnel changes today. The crew chief and engineering changes will take effect immediately. Veteran crew chief Jimmy Fennig will oversee Roush Racing's Busch program in it entirety taking on the job of senior crew chief. Fennig will also assume crew chief duties for the #17 Ameriquest/Pennzoil Ford driven by Matt Kenseth. Fennig brings 36 years of racing experience to Roush's Busch programs. He has led teams and drivers to victory lane numerous times, and in 2004 that experience culminated in a NEXTEL Cup Championship with the #97 team.
Bob Osborne will assume the crew chief position for the #26 Crown Royal/Irwin Industrial Tools team with Jamie McMurray behind the wheel. Osborne has been with Roush Racing since 1998 working as the engineer for the #6 Ford piloted by Mark Martin. Osborne then moved to head of engineering before taking over as crew chief of the #99 Office Depot Ford in 2004.
Wally Brown will take over as crew chief of the #99 Office Depot Ford driven by Carl Edwards. Brown began his career at Roush Racing as the engineer on the #6 team then moved into the role of head engineer when Osborne moved to the #99 crew chief position. Jim Ryder will replace Brown as head engineer. Mark Catania moves to head engineer for the Busch and Truck teams replacing Ryder. Alex Lenxmeier will assume the engineering role for the #26 team under Osborne. Chad Norris is currently serving his four week NASCAR suspension and will assume set-up duties overseeing all the Busch cars.(Roush Racing)(4-13-2006)
UPDATE - Edwards comments on crew chief change: #99-Carl Edwards sees Jack Roush's decision to shift crew chief Bob Osborne to Jamie McMurray's #26 car as a move to spark McMurray's season, not his own. Edwards said Friday that he was told by Roush that if the switch did not work Osborne would be back. Another meeting was scheduled in 90 days to "discuss how it's going."
"It has to do with getting Jamie going," Edwards said while practicing at the Nashville Superspeedway for Saturday's Busch Series Pepsi 300. "That's all this is. That's something I want to make real clear because Bob is doing an unbelievable job. ... This is a compliment to Bob, if anything." He said the change has "nothing to do with" either Osborne or the team's performance. Edwards is 22nd in points after seven starts this season, averaging a 24th-place finish with two top-five finishes.(Associated Press)(4-15-2006)

Edwards named an Ambassador for Youth for National PTA: National PTA has teamed up with Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Office Depot Ford Fusion, to boost family nutrition and wellness and help kids excel in school. Edwards, a former substitute teacher, has been named an Ambassador for Youth for National PTA. He joins businesswoman and designer Kathy Ireland in encouraging parents to make time and get involved in their kid's school and PTA. Office Depot is Edwards' primary sponsor in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and a Proud Community Partner of National PTA. Edwards is committed to helping parents create healthy lifestyles for their children both at home and in school. Leading by example, Edwards exercises everyday, doesn't drink or smoke, and eats healthy. Edwards and the National PTA note that children are more likely to excel in the classroom with meaningful parent involvement and that healthy kids consistently outperform their peers. In his new role as a National Ambassador for Youth, Edwards will join millions of parents and educators to work toward improving the lives of children, as well as urging parents and families to be more involved. Edwards follows in the footsteps of dozens of community leaders, celebrities, legislators, and U.S. Presidents, all of whom have lent their voices and support to National PTA to make a difference in the lives of children. Edwards, who is in front of millions of fans each week on the racetrack, will also lend his support by speaking directly with kids, working with National PTA to provide relevant information to parents, and being a strong advocate for public education. Edwards, whose mother is a former president of her local PTA, began working with National PTA when he donated a portion of his winnings from the 2005 Ameriquest 300 race at the California Speedway to the Kids of Katrina fund, a special relief effort created by National PTA and Office Depot to assist those schools impacted by Hurricane Katrina. For more information about National PTA, visit www.pta.org.(Roush Racing PR)(4-13-2006)

Edwards close to signing driver: #99-Carl Edwards is close to signing Canadian Pete Shepherd III to drive his Sprint car in the USAC Silver Crown Series [USAC] this season. The deal comes after Shepherd completed a battery of tests in the car at Homestead-Miami Speedway earlier this month. Shepherd also has signed a development deal at Roush Racing -- Edwards' Cup team -- where he will drive in a number of Auto Racing Club of America races this season. And he is coming off a successful showing in the Discovery Channel's Driver X program where he made it to the final cut of 1,400 young drivers who were competing for a ride in Roush's Craftsman Truck Series Ford F-150. (Toronto Sun)(2-28-2006)

Edwards on the tube: #99-Carl Edwards is scheduled to appear on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Thursday, Feb. 23rd at 12:35am/et.(Roush Racing PR)(2-22-2006)

Gillette Young Guns add two drivers: Gillette announced the addition of two of NASCAR's youngest and most talented drivers - #99-Carl Edwards and #26-Jamie McMurray - to the Gillette Young Guns team. Edwards and McMurray will officially join Gillette Young Guns #2-Kurt Busch, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #48-Jimmie Johnson and #12-Ryan Newman beginning with the 2006 NEXTEL Cup season-opening race at Daytona. Edwards and McMurray join a team of drivers that once again dominated the 2005 NEXTEL Cup season, with four of the six Gillette Young Guns competing for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Throughout the 2005 season, the Gillette Young Guns had 11 combined victories, 13 Bud Pole awards, 52 Top 5 finishes, 96 Top 10 finishes, and combined earnings of $35,413,740. Gillette will continue to leverage the Gillette Young Guns and its official status in the shaving products, alkaline battery and oral care categories with a comprehensive marketing communications program. The program includes consumer promotions, national sweepstakes, dedicated NASCAR print and broadcast advertising, licensing, interactive on-line consumer promotions, charitable contributions and at-track marketing. These activities will encompass multiple Gillette brands. Just prior to the Daytona 500 fans can visit www.gilletteyoungguns.com for a sneak peak of the new Gillette Young Guns commercial. Edwards and McMurray will join the existing Gillette Young Guns team for two exciting promotional programs this season. The first, "Meet the 2006 GYG Drivers," will offer fans the chance to attend a race for a "meet and greet" with one of the Gillette Young Guns. The "GYG Insiders Guide to the Chase for the Championship" will provide fans with the drivers' exclusive strategies for winning, as well as insight into track strategy and drivers' strengths.(Alan Taylor Comminications), #17-Matt Kenseth and #29-Kevin Harvick are no longer part of the program.(2-10-2006)

Edwards to appear on '24': While in Southern California last week to promote the Nextel Cup race at California Speedway in Fontana on Feb. 26, Carl Edwards filmed a small role for an episode of 24 [Fox, Monday's at 9pm/et/Jayski Fave] scheduled to air April 3. "The best part was they gave me a line to read," Edwards said. "The cameras started to roll, and as I was walking over to shake the other character's hand, I realized my palms were a little sweaty, which doesn't happen very often."(USA Today)(2-7-2006)

Roush and NASCAR agree on downsizing: Five-Team Owner [#'s 6,16,17,26,99] Jack Roush said he and NASCAR have agreed on the basics of how to get his Nextel Cup team down to four cars, which was mandated by the sanctioning body late last season. “We will go back to four teams, but it’s not immediate,” Roush said. “There is a cap of four [Cup teams]. I will comply with that when I’m past my commitments I have with drivers and sponsors. We’ve finally got an understanding of what is possible and what we can do.” Roush would not speculate on when his team might go back to four cars, but said his existing commitments expire between 2009 and 2011.(Ford Racing)(1-25-2006)

2005 News

Edwards wins 4th Qtr DOTY: In a tight race Carl Edwards, a breakout driver NASCAR Nextel Cup series, was voted Speed Channel Driver of the Year presented by Gillette M3 Power Nitro fourth quarter 2005 by a panel of experts and one combined fan ballot. "The neatest thing about the Speed Channel Driver of the Year is that I've been nominated twice," said Edwards in New York for the Annual NASCAR Awards Banquet. "Just to see those commercials, seeing my name on the television with all those drivers from all different series, it's so amazing to be considered for it." In his first full season in the #99 Office Depot Ford Edwards scored one pole and two straight victories, in the final quarter, during the intense Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and included a win from the pole in the #60 World Financial Ford in the Busch Series. Edwards took four first-place votes and tallied 81 points. While NHRA's Tony Schumacher earned five first-place votes, including and totaled 79 points. Tony Stewart also scored five first-place votes and finished third with 69 points. Schumacher, "Sarge" had a perfect quarter winning all five of his events, resulting in his second-straight POWERade Series title driving U.S, Army Top Fuel dragster. Third place Stewart, winner of the third quarter 2005 Driver of the Year, wrapped up his second Nextel Cup title with consistent finishes in the top ten. Also taking first place votes France's Sebastien Bourdais in the Champ Car World Series, Greg Biffle in NASCAR, and World of Outlaws Steve Kinser. Bourdais clinched his second-straight title and totaled 51 points fourth in the ballot. Biffle was runner-up in the Chase to the Cup and was fifth in the vote with 31 points. A total of 20 drivers scored points in the fourth quarter voting. Noteworthy, NASCAR's Mark Martin took third place in the fan vote behind Stewart and Edwards on the www.speedtv.com website. In its' 39th year, the Speed Channel Driver of the Year presented by Gillette M# Power Nitro title is unique because it is the only award that encompasses all of the racing series in the United States and fan participation. A panel of 18 leading journalists and broadcasters from across the U.S. and a fan vote on Speedtv.com determine the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9,6,4,3,2,1 basis. Edwaards will receive a trophy and a Maurice Lacroix, wristwatch at a date to be announced.(DOTY PR)(12-4-2005)

Roush Crew Chiefs all back in 2006: Roush Racing President Geoff Smith said Sunday that the team has re-signed all of five of its crew chiefs for 2006, although it has some unfilled crew vacancies remaining. Roush is one of the few teams that had no midseason crew chief turnover and return of its five team leaders should help the organization get off to a strong start next season.(Speed Channel)(11-21-2005)

Edwards wins at Texas: #99-Carl Edwards won the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 4th win of 2005 and his career. Edwards moves up to 3rd in points, only 77 behind leader #20-Tony Stewart who finished 6th, now has a 38 points lead over #48-Johnson. Just think, if it was the 'old system', Stewart would have a 302 point lead, how exciting would that be with 2 races to go? #6-Mark Martin lost the lead with 2 laps to go and held on to 2nd, followed by #17-Matt Kenseth, #41-Casey Mears and #48-Jimmie Johnson. Edwards is the 10th different driver to win at Texas in 10 races and is the 5th different Roush Racing driver to win at Texas [Martin, Burton, Kenseth, Biffle]. Edwards did his trademark backflip and did a perfect landing, always fun to see. Looks like a three driver race for the Chase: #20-Stewart, #48-Johnson and #99-Edwards. There were only 6 cautions for 27 laps and 11 drivers led laps with 20 lead changes. The race speed was 151.055mph, a new record.
For my race rundown, laps led, DNF's, caution info, Lucky Dogs and some notes, see my Texas Race Info/Rundown Page.
For race results and awards, and other site links, see my

Jayski's Texas Race Results/Awards page.(11-6-2005)

Edwards sweeps Atlanta: #99-Carl Edwards won the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for his 3rd win of 2005 and his career, 2nd at Atlanta, being the first driver to sweep both Atlanta Cup races since Bill Elliott in 1992 and only the 6th driver to do so at the track. #24-Jeff Gordon follows up last weeks win with a 2nd place finish, followed by #6-Mark Martin, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [who led the most laps] and #17-Matt Kenseth. Points leader, #20-Tony Stewart finished 9th and coupled with #48-Jimmie Johnson's [2nd in points] finish of 16th, Stewart increases his points lead from 15 to 43. Three Chasers had bad days, #97-Busch, #2-Wallace and #19-Mayfield all had bad days and finished 36th, 37th and 38th respectfully and for all practical purposes are out of the hunt for the Championship. #39-Reed Sorenson, in his 1st career start, crashed late and finished 41st out of the race. There were 9 cautions for 39 laps and 11 drivers led laps with 25 lead changes.
For my race rundown, laps led, DNF's, caution info, Lucky Dogs and some notes, see my Atlanta Race Info/Rundown Page.
For race results and awards, and other site links, see my

Jayski's Atlanta Race Results/Awards page.
For drivers/owners points, classic points top 15, see my

Jayski's Drivers/Owners Points after Atlanta page.(10-30-2005)

World Financial back on the #99 car: The #99 Ford of Carl Edwards will carry the World Financial Group (WFG) paint scheme this week. The WFG paint scheme was also carried on the #99 Ford earlier this year in Las Vegas.(Roush Racing)(9-30-2005)

Office Depot gives 99 kids free tickets: In celebration of the back-to-school season, Office Depot, the primary sponsor for Nextel Cup driver Carl Edwards' #99 Ford, has provided 99 race tickets for underprivileged area children. Edwards' car is sporting a "Back to School" paint scheme for today's race, with a bumper-sticker sized sponsorship added to the trunk which reads, "Proud Partner of the National PTA." The 99 area children are from Schuyler Outreach, a nonprofit organization that provides food and financial assistance to low-income families. "Education is so important and it's really neat that our sponsor is recognizing that," said Edwards. "This is only my third road course race (and first here) and I'm hopeful that the special paint scheme will bring us a little luck this weekend."(Elmira Star-Gazette)(8-14-2005)

Back to School: hearing that #99 Carl Edwards will run a special Office Depot 'Back to School' scheme, probably at Watkins Glen, maybe a few more races. See an image of the scheme on my #99 Team Schemes page.(8-5-2005)

Triple Duty for Edwards: Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Office Depot [AAA this week] Ford, will have a busy week leading up to Sunday’s Brickyard 400. After competing in a Ken Schrader exhibition race during the middle of the week in Pevely, Mo., Edwards will race in the USAC Silver Crown, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races in Indianapolis.(Ford Racing)(8-3-2005)

Osbourne Wins Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race Award at Pocono: Bob Osborne, crew chief of the #99 Taurus, had the unenviable task of bringing Carl Edwards from the back of the pack to the front this Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Knowing it would take more than just a fast race car, Osborne executed a risky pit strategy that landed his driver a top-five finish in the Pennsylvania 500. For moving Edwards through the field, Osborne was voted the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race.
Edwards' double duty obligations made Osborne's day double tough. Edwards' Busch Series responsibilities had him racing in Fountain, Co on Saturday, forcing the team to use a substitute driver for time trials at Poco# The team was penalized for the driver switch and had to start the Office Depot/Scotts Ford from the rear of the field. Track position comes at a premium at Pocono Raceway and Osborne knew that he had a tough chore ahead.
Osborne overcame his team's track position deficit by making a two-tire pit stop, not just once, but twice over the course of the race. Osborne's strategy moved Edwards into position to end the day with a fourth-place finish.
The panel of voters; including Chuck Givler of the Easton Express-Times, a Wypall Wipers representative and Tony Eury Sr.; all gave Osborne the nod as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race.
Doug Richert leads the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year standings with five wins. Alan Gustafson, Bob Osborne and Robbie Loomis are tied for second place with two wins. Tommy Baldwin, Scott Miller, Fatback McSwain, Greg Zipadelli, Steve Hmiel, Jimmy Fennig and Pete Rondeau are in a tie for third place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000.Fans can also vote for their choice at wypall.com.(SMC 500)(7-25-2005)

Edwards to run at Pocono and Pikes Peak..with help from Kimmel and Parker: It was just six short weeks ago that #99-Carl Edwards brought home his second career win in the series at Pocono Raceway. It was Edwards' first trip to the 2.5-mile track. Not only did Edwards pick up Jack Roush's first victory as a car owner at the track, his 29th starting position marked the furthest back anyone had started and won a race there. Edwards was also only the second driver to win at the tri-oval in his first career start at the track. The first was Richard Petty in 1974 when he won the inaugural Cup event there. Similar to the Pocono race earlier this year, Edwards will fly between two states in order to make both the Busch and Cup races. Edwards will spend Friday in Pocono practicing the #99 Office Depot Ford then he will depart for Colorado Springs, CO where he will start the #60 Charter Ford in the Busch race on Saturday at Pikes Peak International Raceway. For Saturday's Cup qualifying session, six-time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel will substitute for Edwards. Kimmel has 50 career victories to his name and has starts in the Cup, Busch and Truck Series. Kimmel will attempt to qualify the #99 Office Depot Ford per NASCAR's rules but Edwards will return to start Sunday's 500-mile race. Because of the driver switch, Edwards will have to start at the back of the field but Kimmel's qualifying position is important as it determines where the team will pick their pit stall for Sunday's race. Hank Parker, Jr. will practice and qualify the #60-Busch Series car for Edwards on Friday, who will have to be in Pocono, Penn. tending to his #99 Office Depot Cup car. Parker has been on hand to help the #60 Charter team already this season, when rain at Nashville postponed the Saturday race until Sunday, forcing Edwards to hop on a plane for the first NEXTEL Cup race in Poco#Parker filled his seat, and brought the Charter Communications Ford home with a solid 20th-place finish while Edwards drove to his second-career NEXTEL Cup win in Pennsylvania.(Roush Racing)(7-20-2005)
UPDATE: Speed Channel's NASCAR Live reports that ARCA driver Bobby Gerhart will qualifying the #99 Ford in Saturday's qualifying at Pocono.(Speed Channel's NASCAR Live) Defending and six-time ARCA RE/MAX Series champion Frank Kimmel was originally scheduled to relieve Edwards of his qualifying duties, but will be unable to do so since he did not fit into Edwards’ custom-fitted driver’s seat.(ARCA Racing site)(7-22-2005)

Office Depot to become Edwards exclusive sponsor: Office Depot, the "Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR" and Roush Racing announced today that Office Depot has signed a new multi-year deal to be the primary sponsor of the #99 Roush Racing Ford, driven by Carl Edwards beginning in the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. "I'm really excited to have Office Depot on board as the primary sponsor of the #99 Ford in 2006 and beyond," said Edwards. "I'm proud to represent Office Depot and all of their employees and customers across the country. There is an obvious cross-over between the NASCAR fan base and Office Depot's customers and I'm excited that they've chosen me, Roush Racing and the #99 team as their vehicle to communicate their messaging. I know I speak for my entire team when I say we look forward to having Office Depot as a part of our team in the future." Office Depot's foray into NASCAR began this February when the Company announced its sponsorship of Roush Racing's #99 Ford that ultimately extended to a total of 17 races for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season.(Roush Racing site)(7-8-2005)

Pennzoil on the #99 for Daytona: Carl Edwards will sports a Pennzoil Platinum paint schemes [or should I call it paint decals now?] on the #99 Roush Racing Ford for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 2nd. Pennzoil Platinum full synthetic motor oil is the most advanced product that Pennzoil has ever produced and is the latest product from the category leader. Pennzoil Platinum's ultimate-protection formulation is designed to stand up to today's most demanding engines. This new full synthetic motor oil combines a highly-refined base oil with a proprietary additive package to create a ground-breaking formulation to keep engines running at their full potential.(Coyne PR), no image...yet.(7-1-2005)

Roush 2006 lineup complete.....almost: Geoff Smith, president of Roush Racing, said Friday that the Roush lineup for 2006 is all but complete, with sponsors and drivers for four of its five Nextel Cup cars showing no major changes. DeWalt will return to Matt Kenseth's #17, National Guard/Subway/etc. to Greg Biffle's #16, Rubbermaid/Smirnoff and others with Kurt Busch's #97, and all races accounted for with Carl Edwards's #99. The million-dollar question, of course, has been who will take over for retiring veteran Mark Martin in the flagship #6. Sponsor Pfizer will leave after this season, as has been known for weeks, but Smith said the sponsor issue is more a matter of placing the right company with the right driver. Smith continues to hint that Jon Wood, still under contract with Roush while driving on loan in the Busch Series, could be the front-runner for the job. "We have at least one sponsor who is very interested in Jon," Smith said. Smith also dismissed reports that Valvoline, one-time primary sponsor of Martin and the #6, could return as sponsor of Martin's Roush-backed Craftsman Truck effort next season. Smith said Roush Racing has a company-wide supplier agreement with Quaker State [Pennzoil], and that such a nostalgic coupling would not be possible.(Ford Racing)(6-18-2005)

Double Duty at Pocono-Nashville: two drivers are planning on running the Nextel Cup race at Pocono and the Busch Series race in Nashville:
#40-Sterling Marlin will be running the Busch Series race at his home track of Nashville Superspeedway. He will be piloting the #40 for FitzBradshaw Racing.(Ganassi PR)
AND This will be #99-Carl Edwards' first double duty weekend in two separate cities. Edwards will practice and qualify the #99 Stonebridge Insurance Ford in Pocono on Friday and Saturday morning then head to Nashville to race the #60 Charter Ford in the Busch race. Edwards will then return late Saturday night to race the #99 Ford in Sunday's 500-mile event.(Roush Racing)(6-10-2005)

Sponsor for #99 at Pocono in June: Stonebridge Life Insurance Company will be the primary sponsor on the #99 Ford, driven by Carl Edwards, at the Pocono 500 on June 12. This will be the first time Stonebridge Life Insurance Company has sponsored a NEXTEL Cup car. Stonebridge Life Insurance Company is the sister company to World Financial Group, who appeared on the #99 Ford as a primary sponsor in 2004 and 2005. As a leading direct response insurer, Stonebridge Life offers families straightforward and convenient ways to protect their financial assets, especially when they feel like they are racing through everyday life. Like NASCAR and Roush Racing, they are committed to quality, quick response, and excellent service. It is these parallels that brought Stonebridge Life and Roush Racing's #99 team together. Stonebridge Life will be running a major promotion around their sponsorship, with details of the promotion announced in the coming weeks. Stonebridge Life Insurance Company offers term and whole life insurance plans directly to consumers via mail, phone, and the Internet. It is also a member of the AEGON Group, one of the world's largest insurance organizations.(Roush Racing)(5-25-2005)

Roush Racing's 'Gong Show' gets a sponsor and goes on TV: Roush Racing is teaming up with Discovery Channel to find a driver to join their team, to star in an energy-jammed reality show, and ultimately to compete for the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship. Discovery Channel will bring the excitement, drama, and rush of this exclusive search for NASCAR’s next superstar in a new series premiering this fall. Twenty-five young racers, sharing one dream, will compete on and off the track for one of the most sought after jobs in racing – a fully sponsored ride with legendary racer and team owner Jack Roush. Discovery Channel will go behind-the-scenes of the driver selection process as the candidates are put through a barrage of tests – challenging their physical and mental strengths, not to mention evaluating their media savvy and general fan appeal. Anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes is encouraged to submit their applications immediately online at RoushRacing.com. Applications will be accepted through June 15, 2005.(Roush Racing)(5-25-2005)

#99 Crew chief to #8? #88? One man currently on everyone's want list is Bob Osborne, crew chief for Roush Racing's #99, with driver Carl Edwards. Having two plum positions [#8 and #88] open should open up the market considerably.(Speed Channel)(5-25-2005)

Edwards to run Modified race at LMS Dirt Track: Carl Edwards will kick off Coca-Cola 600 week by competing in the Ferris Commercial Mowers presents the Eckerd 75 DIRT big-block modified race Wednesday night, May 25, at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway. Edwards is scheduled to drive a second #3 Page Trucking and Transportation entry as a teammate to multi-time DIRT modified champion Brett Hearn of Kinnelon, N.J. While Edwards has very little experience in the big-block DIRT modifieds, he is no stranger to dirt-track racing. The second-generation driver captured the 1999 modified title and the 2000 pro modified championship at Capital Speedway, a dirt track near Jefferson City, Mo., while working his way up the racing ladder. The Ferris Commercial Mowers presents the Eckerd 75 will start a busy week for Edwards as he will also drive the #60 Charter Communications Ford in the inaugural nighttime running of the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 on Saturday, May 28, and he'll be behind the wheel of the #99 Scotts Ford for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 29. Tickets for all May events at Lowe's Motor Speedway and The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway can be purchased online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.(5-24-2005)

Office Depot adds more races: Roush Racing and Office Depot announced that Office Depot, the "Official Office Products Partner of NASCAR," is expanding its on-track sponsorship commitment with the #99 Ford driven by Carl Edwards to a total of 17 races for the remainder of the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season. In addition to the nine races announced earlier this year, Office Depot will appear as the primary sponsor on the #99 Ford for eight additional races this season. The schedule includes both races at Dover, the two road course tracks (Infineon and Watkins Glen) and the second races at Pocono, Bristol, Martinsville and Phoenix. With the addition of these races, Office Depot will appear on Edwards' #99 Ford for six of the final 10 races in the "Chase for the NEXTEL Cup." Office Depot will also become Track Sponsor for races at seven International Speedway Corporation (ISC) tracks that include Daytona International Speedway, California Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Watkins Glen International, Martinsville Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Plus, Office Depot has a new sponsorship relationship with Speedway Motorsports, Inc., at Bristol Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Race fans can follow news of Carl Edwards and the #99 race team all season long at www.officedepotracing.com. Fans can watch video interviews with Edwards, get a sneak peak behind the scenes of Office Depot's NASCAR commercials, download screensavers of Edwards and the #99 Office Depot Ford and view or a gallery of exciting race photos.(Business Wire)(5-19-2005)

Roundup to sponsor Edwards at Richmond: Roush Racing and Scotts Team Racing announced that the #99 Ford of Carl Edwards will carry the Roundup Extended Control logo and new paint scheme as the primary sponsor for the upcoming races at Richmond International Raceway on May 14 and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 28. Roundup Extended Control is an exciting new product that was recently introduced, and was specially developed to take weed and grass control to a whole new level. For more information on Roundup or any of the Scotts products visit www.roundup.com, or www.scotts.com.(Roush Racing)(5-10-2005)

Ortho on the #99: The #99 Ford, driven by Carl Edwards, will sport a special Ortho Season-Long Grass and Weed Killer paint scheme next week in Talladega for the Aaron's 499 NEXTEL Cup race. Ortho, one of The Scotts Company’s brands, will appear for the first time as a primary sponsor at Sunday's 188 lap event. "I'm excited to have the Ortho paint scheme on the No. 99 Ford next week," said Edwards. "Scotts has 11 races this year and it's neat that they are using them to support not only the Scotts brand but their other brands as well. We had a great win with Scotts at Atlanta and we're hoping to have another great run with Ortho in Talladega." Jeff Keyser, Senior Director for Ortho Marketing at The Scotts Company echoed Edwards' excitement and explained their strategy for placing the Ortho brand on the #99 Ford at Talladega. “Ortho Season-Long Grass and Weed Killer is proud to partner with Roush Racing to sponsor Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Team in Talladega.” Keyser continued, “Weeds become a real problem for consumers April through June and this is the perfect time to get them under control. Just one application of Ortho Season-Long not only kills existing weeds, but also prevents new weeds for the entire season…which should give fans more time to enjoy racing on weekends!”(Roush Racing)(4-30-2005)

Edwards races, surprises crowd: Racing fans thought Carl Edwards would only be there [24 Raceway in Moberly MO] to sign autographs. As it turned out, the NASCAR star did more. Edwards, a 25-year-old Columbia [MO] native, drove on the same track as his younger brother, Kenny, in the Hornet car race at 24 Raceway in Moberly Saturday night. Driving in his first race, Kenny Edwards, 22, won the first heat. Carl Edwards finished in fifth place. Kenny Edwards again finished ahead of his brother in the feature race. He was third; Carl Edwards was seventh. Carl Edwards announced his plans to be on hand to watch his brother on Thursday. On Saturday, he flew to Moberly for the race in fellow Roush Racing driver Mark Martin’s jet. He returned to Martinsville, Va., for the Advance Auto Parts 500 race Sunday afterward.(Columbia Missourian)(4-10-2005)

Edwards goes green again, for National Garden Month: The #99 Scotts team will kick off National Garden Month this week when the green and white Scotts/Miracle Gro paint scheme returns to the Ford of Carl Edwards. In honor of National Garden Month, the #99 Scotts/Miracle Gro Ford will carry a special decal on the TV panel with the "Give a Garden* - Add Beauty to Life" logo throughout the month of April. "Give a Garden* - Add Beauty to Life" is this year's theme and has one simple premise - someone in your community can benefit by receiving a "garden". National Garden Month, an annual National Gardening Association (NGA) program, is a call to action that encourages everyone to get out and plant to help beautify our backyards and communities. The opportunities for making a difference through gardening are limited only by your imagination. For more ways to help celebrate National Garden Month log onto www.nationalgardenmonth.org.(Roush Racing)(4-5-2005)

Edwards on Wind Tunnel: Wind Tunnel With Dave Despain will have 2 Co-Hosts sharing the spotlight with Dave this Sunday, March 27: Roush Racing’s new phenom, Carl Edwards, and SPEED Channel Analyst, Robin Miller. ARCA Champ Frank Kimmel will be a featured interview on Wind Tunnel this Sunday, which airs at 9:00pm/et on Speed Channel.(3-24-2005)

#99 Almost Full of Sponsors: The #99 Roush Racing Ford has sponsors listed for all but the two New Hamphsire races. Scotts/Ortho, Office Depot will be the sponsor for most of the races, along with AAA [2 races at MIS and 1 at Indy], World Financial Group [3 races - Las Vegas and Tallagega - Oct and with Aegon at Pocono in June], Pennzoil at Dayotna in July and something called Renessaince at Kansas [possibly something to do with the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in Kansas City]. Some rumors for sponsors at New Hampshire include the Boston Red Sox and Intel.(Roush Racing site)(3-23-2005)

So who to the #6 car in 2006? Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Roush Racing Ford, is no longer is slated to replace Mark Martin [retires from Cup at end of 2005] in the No. 6 after this season. "It's pretty obvious he's found a home in the 99," Smith says. "We're going to have to fill the 6 with someone else, and we don't know who that someone else might be." Smith says they will look at current Roush truck series driver Ricky Craven, a former Cup veteran, for the ride. But he expects other drivers in the garage to be interested: "That's a fantastic ride that's going to be available."(USA Today)(3-22-2005)

AAA Salutes Edwards: "On behalf of the six AAA clubs in The Auto Club Group, I want to offer warm congratulations to Carl Edwards on the occasion of his first victory in a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race," Charles Podowski, president/CEO of The Auto Club Group said today. "Carl's dramatic finish in the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday is a tribute to his driving skill and persistence and the excellent support he receives from his Roush Racing Teammates. The Auto Club Group is proud to be one of Carl's primary sponsors for this year's NEXTEL Cup season," Podowski said. The Auto Club Group has signed on to be the primary sponsor of Edwards' AAA Car #99 Ford Taurus in three NEXTEL Cup races this year and as an associate sponsor in the 35 other events. This is Edwards' first full year on the NEXTEL Cup circuit. Edwards will be making his first appearance under The Auto Club Group's principal sponsorship in the June 19 NEXTEL Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. He will also compete with representatives of Michigan news media in a simulator race on Thursday, June (Yahoo Finance)(3-22-2005)

Edwards Drives Home too: After Carl Edwards drove 500 miles to victory he left Atlanta with his motor coach driver and spent all night behind the wheel 680 miles to his hometown of Columbia, Missouri. His sponsor Scotts had a private jet waiting for him where he then flew to New York City to help ring Monday’s closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. A long drive following a race win is nothing new to Edwards. After his first-ever dirt track victory in Godfrey, Illinois Carl drove home and was so happy that night he didn’t change out of uniform. He also drove back to Missouri from the Kentucky Speedway after his first Craftsman Truck Series win. Edwards said “To get behind the wheel of that motor home and drove home (from Atlanta) just made it feel right.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(3-21-2005)

Edwards Flip? Why? How? Where? For those wondering about the origin of the backflip Edwards did after winning Saturday’s Busch Series race and Sunday’s Cup race he learned it several years ago from Tyler Walker, a World of Outlaws driver now driving Busch. “I almost didn’t make it around on that one,” Edwards said of Sunday’s flip. “I was a little wore out and excited. I was definitely off, but I’ll make it up to them (fans) next time.”(The State)(3-21-2005)

Edwards tests at VIR with Said: Carl Edwards, who has no road course experience, tested the #60 Busch Series Ford with accomplished road racer Boris Said at Virginia International Raceway. The tests were in preparation for Sunday's road race in Mexico. Said was thoroughly impressed with Edwards' work ethic and potential. "I told (MB2 G.M.) Jay Frye he should have hired Carl," Said says. "He's one of the nicest kids, the real deal. He was a good listener and great learner. He's got quite a future." Edwards finished sixth in Saturday's Busch race and is third in points; he finished fifth in Sunday's Cup race and is fourth in points.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(2-28-2005)

Roush and Red Sox rumor resurfaces: Roush Racing executives have been working with their counterparts in the Boston Red Sox front office on ways to tap into the New England fan market. Possible alliances include a Red Sox paint scheme and Roush-themed television shows on the team's regional cable network. "I'm hoping to find out a way to affiliate our teams more closely with the Red Sox," Roush Racing President Geoff Smith said. Smith said Red Sox majority owner John Henry is a "semiprofessional" computer race car driver, playing the same sophisticated online racing simulator game that drivers such as Earnhardt play when they aren't racing. The Roush team brought Henry to a race at New Hampshire International Speedway last year, leading to rumors Roush would sell a stake in his team to Henry. But Smith said beyond the two teams' marketing plans, "there is nothing on the table." Smith doesn't rule out the team possibly entering a partnership.(USA Today)(2-18-2005)

Edward's allowed to run for ROTY [in Busch]: on Speed Channel's NASCAR Live on Tuesday, it was reported b Ken Squire that Carl Edwards, the Roush Racing driver in the Cup Series #99 and Busch Series #60, will be allowed to run for the 2005 Busch Series Rookie of the Year award.(2-15-2005)

Office Depot Promo: Office Depot, 9-race primary sponsor of the #99 with driver Carl Edwards, is launching a unique promotion offering customers the chance to become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" courtesy of Office Depot. This new promotion, showcased in Office Depot's first NASCAR television advertising campaign, breaks new ground by using NASCAR to reach small businesses -- the core customer base for Office Depot. The "Official Small Business of NASCAR" promotion and accompanying ad campaign are central components in Office Depot's multi-faceted Taking Care of Business marketing and brand positioning program. Last month, Office Depot introduced NASCAR as its new sports sponsorship platform, entering into a multi-year agreement with NASCAR to become the sport's first-ever Official Office Products Partner. In addition, beginning with the Daytona 500 (Feb. 20, FOX, 1 p.m.). Office Depot's new NASCAR-themed ad campaign debuts on February 12 with a television spot titled "Bumper." The "Bumper" spot, created by BBDO New York, focuses on one of the most unique national promotions in the sports world: small business owners getting the chance to become the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" courtesy of Office Depot. As part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, the winning business will have its company name featured on the #99 Office Depot Ford Taurus that will be driven by Carl Edwards on May 7 at Darlington Raceway. Customers can enter the "Official Small Business of NASCAR" courtesy of Office Depot sweepstakes by filling out a form at computer workstations in any one of Office Depot's more than 900 stores nationwide, or online at www.officedepot.com/racing. The promotion is open to small businesses with no more than 99 employees, and runs through April 10, 2005. No purchase is necessary. A complete set of rules and restrictions can be found at www.officedepot.com/racing.(Businesswire.com)(2-9-2005)

Scotts Company returns to #99...for nine races as primary: Roush Racing announced that The Scotts Company will sponsor Carl Edwards and the #99 Roush Racing Ford Taurus in 2005. The Scotts Company sponsored the #99 Ford for a total of six races in 2004. Scotts has decided to return as a primary sponsor on the #99 Ford in 2005 for a mi