"I don't see myself using it near that much": When Carl Edwards requested approval for a private airstrip near Columbia

Former NASCAR driver Carl Edwards once mentioned the frequency of his personal flying when he wanted approval for a private airstrip near Columbia. There were certain conditions put forward to him, one of which was also a limit on using the strip.

Edwards, who raced in the Cup Series between 2004 and 2016, is also an avid pilot. While he is not the only driver in history to have owned and piloted a plane, he remains one of the few who were extremely obsessed with flying; sometimes seemingly more than driving during races.

So much so, that in 2011, Carl Edwards put in a request to have his own airstrip near Columbia. The approval wasn't the easiest to get, and there were certain conditions presented before the NASCAR driver.

The conditions involved mandates like the strict use of the airstrip for personal use, meaning no business could be generated from it. Moreover, there was also a strict limit on not using the airstrip more than 30 times during a week. When Edwards was questioned about this limit, he mentioned that he probably wouldn't be using it so often.

"I don’t see myself using it near that much, Edwards said (via Colombia Daily Tribune).

Carl Edwards had an obsession with flying his private jets. However, he also realized the potential he had with them as he once explained how often he was required to fly.

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Carl Edwards on how owning a plane helped him in his career

The 45-year-old once said that before owning a plane, he would drive to all the places he was required at. While that does not seem to be a lot, he also mentioned that a lot of times he was forced to sleep overnight in the car itself.

"Before I got a plane I drove everywhere," Edwards told USA Today in 2016. "Used to sleep in my car at truckstops. I was going to save every penny I could."

Owning a private jet certainly helped him as Edwards added:

"I could do everything I need to do without a plane, but I literally would spend my life in an airport (flying commercial airlines). This plane saves me about a hundred days a year."

He further added that managing multiple ventures at once was simply not possible for him without owning a plane.

"Days like today, with multiple things going on, there’s no way I could do it without a plane," Edwards said. "The biggest thing for me is I get a little bit of downtime. I don’t feel like I’m in a constant state of hurry."

Carl Edwards was inducted into the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame. He was a celebrated driver and drove for Roush Racing for most of his career before switching to Joe Gibbs Racing for his final two seasons of racing. He amassed 28 wins throughout his Cup Series career.