"It wasn't in the plan": Carl Edwards gets real about his parents' "choice" regarding his unplanned birth

Former Cup Series driver Carl Edwards was recently inducted to NASCAR's Hall of Fame. He recently gave a speech at the ceremony held at the Charlotte Convention Center on Friday, February 7, 2025, and opened up about his unplanned birth.

Edwards had a successful career in stock car racing and began his NASCAR career in the Craftsman Truck Series in June 2002. He then moved up to the Xfinity Series and secured a championship title followed by 38 wins. In 2004, he transitioned to the Cup Series and drove the #99 Ford for Roush Racing, amassing 28 wins and etching his name in history.

During his NASCAR Hall of Fame speech, Carl Edwards recalled his childhood memories about his parents' medical condition.. He stated:

"My mom was told she could not have kids going to be part of her life, that he wasn't going to live past 30. He had a heart condition." [01:30]

"So Mom and Dad got married. Mom turned up pregnant, and so they made a choice. They made a choice to be parents. Wasn't in the plan, and they made a choice for me and for my brother," Edwards added. [01:55 onwards]

The Columbia native showcased his gratitude to his mother and added:

"What I would say about my mom, is that, Mom, when you make a choice to do something, the world better watch out. You're unbelievable. You raise this just as the best mom. And it wasn't just me and Kenny. You made a choice to be a mom to all the kids in the neighborhood. Everybody came to our house."

Late NASCAR driver Ralph Moody and former Richard Childress Racing driver Ricky Rudd were also elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame alongside the 45-year-old Cup Series driver.

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"He was almost a father figure": Carl Edwards lauds former boss Jack Roush

The Roush Racing driver Carl Edwards has a long history with his former boss Jack Roush. The latter's team served as a launchpad for Edwards' spectacular career in the Cup Series. He debuted in the series in 2004 under Rosh Racing and secured four top-ten finishes in the season.

The former Cup Series driver stayed with RFK Racing (then Roush Racing) for over a decade and amassed 23 wins and 108 top-five finishes before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015.

Reflecting upon his achievements with the team, Carl Edwards praised Jack Roush and stated:

"Jack himself, I don't know how many careers he's made; he made mine, and he can do anything. He's a team owner, a motivator, he's a great pilot, and to me, he was almost a father figure, someone that brought me along and really took chances on me, committed to me when there was no reason to." [0:16].

The 2007 Xfinity Series (then Busch Series) retired from the sport in 2016 after nearly missing the Cup Series title in the championship four race.