“He genuinely has fun competing”: When Carl Edwards sang praises of Hendrick Motorsports legend as ‘a good example’

Carl Edwards, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, described who kids should look up to in NASCAR in an interview in May 2014. He mentioned Jimmie Johnson as someone who they should “look up to”.

Johnson is widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the modern era. His career is defined by an unprecedented era of dominance, when he won seven Cup Series Championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2016), tying him with legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. His era of dominance was characterized by his adaptability and consistency across NASCAR’s various track types. He amassed 83 career Cup Series wins, including two wins at the Daytona 500, four wins at the Brickyard 400, and four wins at the Coca-Cola 600.

Carl Edwards, in an interview to USA Today during the segment 12 Questions, was asked who is a good driver that the young drivers should follow. He pointed to his rival. He was impressed by his demeanour after a race that Edwards had won.

"I'd say Jimmie Johnson. I tell people this all the time: If I go back and look at pictures of my first win, the guy that I beat coming off Turn 4, Jimmie Johnson, is standing in victory lane, dumping Gatorade on my head, laughing and high-fiving me. In my mind, that is what I've always strived to be – a competitor who can be as focused as Jimmie is and as good as he is but also have the perspective he has. I believe he genuinely has fun competing.

At the end of the day, life is such that you're going to lose at something. Everybody is. And in racing, it's more than you win. So I really look up to Jimmie for those reasons."

The 2014 season marked Carl Edwards' final year driving for Roush Fenway Racing before transitioning to Joe Gibbs Racing. The season began with a win at Food City 500, leading to his 22nd career win. He earned his first road course victory at the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

Edwards officially announced his departure from Roush during the Brickyard 400 weekend and transitioned to Joe Gibbs Racing driving the #19.

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Carl Edwards reflected on emotional family moment after sudden NASCAR retirement

Carl Edwards' sudden retirement from NASCAR ahead of the 2017 season shocked many, but the decision led to a profound family moment that he cherishes. Edwards recounted a specific morning where his son, who had previously only seen him as a parent who came and went due to racing obligations, jumped into bed with him.

To Dale Earnhardt Jr. on his podcast Dale Jr. Download, he said:

“I was lying in bed with Kate. My son woke up, and I heard him running down the hallway and he jumped into bed with me; he jumped in my side of the bed.”

“That's the first time that had ever happened 'cause I was the guy that kinda showed up and left and Kate was the parent. I thought, 'Holy crap!' Kate just said, 'This is what you've been missing.' It's been a hell of a good thing since I stepped out of the race car,” Carl Edwards added.

This experience made him realize what he had been missing and solidified his decision to prioritize family life over his racing career.