Carl Edwards reveals 3 reasons behind NASCAR retirement in 2016

Carl Edwards, the former NASCAR driver, who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Ricky Rudd and Ralph Moody, has revealed some of his reasons behind stepping away from the sport. Edwards had called time on his NASCAR career in 2016.

Edwards took part in 445 Cup Series races in a career that stretched for over a decade between 2004 and 2016. Although he never won the Championship, he finished second twice, in 2008 and 2011, with RFK Racing. Moreover, he had 28 race wins and finished within the top-10 a whopping 220 times.

Even in his final season in NASCAR, he remained competitive, claiming three race wins. He was leading the season-ending race when a caution flag appeared in the last four laps, turning it into a two-lap sprint. He crashed on the restart and lost the chance to win the Cup Series Championship.

Soon after that race, Carl Edwards retired. He recently revealed the reasons for his decision to step away from the action. Spending more time with his family was the first of his three stated reasons. Here's what he said:

"I needed time."

Carl Edwards has two kids with his wife, Katherine "Kate" Downey. The two got married in 2009. Further, he claimed that he had accomplished all that he "needed" in the sport. The final reason revolved around the risks that NASCAR carries.

"I had accomplished all I needed to accomplish in the sport for me," he remarked.

"It's really a risky sport. I escaped without any lasting injuries," he added.

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"I was shocked": Carl Edwards on 2025 Hall of Fame induction

As mentioned earlier, Carl Edwards was recently inducted into NASCAR's Hall of Fame.

Edwards was on a flight when this was finally revealed earlier in May, so he was unable to check the news. He was compelled by his wife to verify the information on his phone afterwards. He disclosed that he was "shocked" and felt humbled even after speaking with Randy Fuller and learning that he had been inducted into the HOF.

“I thought about it. I thought, man, I can’t build my day around that because it’s not going to happen,” Edwards said Thursday in a Zoom media availability. “I called Randy Fuller and I was just blown away. I knew Randy wouldn’t mess with me like that. I was shocked, and I still am at how much it means to me. I wasn’t expecting to feel this way. It’s very humbling,” Edwards said.

The ceremony is scheduled for February 25th, 2025. Along with the three inductees, Dr Dean Sicking will receive the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.