AND: Joe Gibbs Racing is scheduled to hold two separate news conferences [Edwards retirement? Hamlin contract extension?) starting at 10:00am/et on Wednesday, January 11, 2017 from its headquarters in Huntersville, NC.(JGR)
MORE: Edwards is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing to pursue other interests outside of driving and will not compete in 2017. On Wednesday, JGR will announce at a press conference that Daniel Suarez will replace Edwards as the driver of the team’s #19 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota. Suarez is the reigning NASCAR XFINITY Series champion. Representatives of Edwards and Joe Gibbs Racing declined comment. David Wilson, president of TRD, U.S.A., also declined comment on Edwards’ departure.(FoxSports)(1-10-2017)
UPDATE: As the NASCAR world waits to hear Carl Edwards’ explanation for his sudden retirement, one reason can be ruled out. Edwards is not leaving for a TV job at Fox Sports or NBC Sports. “We were as surprised as anyone to hear the news about Carl Edwards’ expected retirement, and we will be following the story alongside everyone else,” said John Entz, president of Fox Sports Production and an executive producer, in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. “Fox Sports has really enjoyed having Carl in the booth and on our air in various capacities over the years, but speculation that he may be climbing out of the car to join the Fox NASCAR broadcast team is unfounded. Our team is set for the near future and we wish Carl well in whatever he chooses to do next.” A spokeswoman for NBC Sports told USA TODAY Sports that Edwards was not joining that network, either.(USA Today)
PRESS CONFERENCE: JGR will hold two separate news conferences starting at 10am/et on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017, from its headquarters in Huntersville, NC. Both press conferences will be live-streamed on NASCAR.com also via radio at Motor Racing Network the MRN App and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.(1-11-2017)