"Before I got a plane I drove everywhere": When Carl Edwards reflected on how flying transformed his NASCAR lifestyle

Carl Edwards isn't the only NASCAR driver in history to own and pilot their own plane. However, the now-retired Cup Series driver might have been the one to ultilize flying the most throughout his NASCAR career.

In the early days of his career, the former Roush Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing driver didn't spend a lot of money. He told USA Today back in 2016 that he only spent $8,000 a year amid his first season with RFR and kept the rest of his earnings in the bank. Edwards didn't spend a lot of money, with some even calling him "cheap," which included his travel plans.

“Before I got a plane I drove everywhere," Edwards said. "Used to sleep in my car at truckstops. I was going to save every penny I could.”

Later in his career, Edwards made one of the better investments in his career when he purchased an airplane. The two-time Cup Series runner-up would fly to every race he competed in except for when he was at his hometrack in Kansas, to which he'd drive. While Edwards insists he could do everything without a plane, it changed his life.

“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 added.

However, when Edwards had a litany of tasks throughout the day such as meetings with his race team and making media appearances, the Missouri native saw flying as a way to get more stuff done, including spend time with his family.

“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.”

Edwards competed in the Cup Series full-time for 12 seasons. The bulk of his career was spent behind the wheel of the #99 RFR Ford, a team he was with from 2005-2014. Edwards won 28 races, most notably scoring nine wins in 2008 and finishing runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in the championship. He also finished runner-up in 2011 after losing the title to Tony Stewart on a tie-breaker. Edwards moved to JGR to drive the #19 Toyota in 2015, where he'd spend two seasons beforing retiring prior to the 2017 campaign.

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Carl Edwards will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next week

One day prior to the NASCAR Cup Series season-opening exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium, three of the sport's greats will be enshrined into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The 2025 class includes Carl Edwards, Ricky Rudd and Ralph Moody.

Edwards was selected among a group of 10 nominees that included the likes of Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde and Jack Sprague.

While he never won a Cup Series title, Edwards captured an Xfinity Series title in 2007. He has 28 career Cup Series wins, with his final one coming at Texas in 2016.