"It takes something away from the sport": When Carl Edwards shared concerns over NASCAR's stage format

During his time as a driver for Roush Fenway Racing, Carl Edwards had once criticized NASCAR's stage format. Speaking about how the format did not add any value to the sport, Edwards said it took things away instead.

Carl Edwards' criticism of NASCAR's stage format in 2012 has come into the limelight via one of the videos that resurfaced on the internet lately. The YouTube shorts video, via the channel 'Alectheflexer' amassed over 1.8 million views, where the former RFR driver was pointing out how stage format kills racing in general.

"Let me just lay something out here for you guys, is it everyone in this room, is it your understanding that when they throw the green flag, right?" Edwards said via Speedway Media. "The only reason another flag is gonna come out like a yellow one is a red one before that Checkered Flag comes out if there's a condition on the race track that is unsafe to continue the race. Is that what everybody understands?"

"If we start getting away from that and we say, okay halfway through the race, we're gonna throw a caution, we're all gonna line back up. Well, now it's two races, where the first race, it doesn't even matter. Now you just got a shorter race. The lead in Basketball is a figurative one, it's a score."

"So it's as if you stop the quarter in basketball and then you even the score. And in racing I go up there and gain an advantage, maybe not on this track but at most tracks, I gain a big advantage that caution erases advantage. It's my opinion, my humble opinion, I'm not saying what's right or wrong, but it's my opinion that, that takes something away from the sport," he added.

NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017, where they decided to break races into three parts or stages. A stage or part consists of a normal green flag for the race to go, to a green and white Checkered Flag for it to stop after the designated lap count.

Even though most NASCAR races have three stages, only the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway has four stages because of its race distance, which is 600 miles. The Top 10 winners of each stage receive points.

The driver who finishes the stage on top is called the stage winner, and that driver gets 10 points. The driver in second receives nine points, followed by the 10th driver with one point. However, the winner of the third or final stage is called the race winner, unlike stages one or two.

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Carl Edwards revealed why he retired from NASCAR

After Carl Edwards retired from the sport after 13 years, and 445 races, he had once revealed why he had taken the decision. Speaking to the media, revealing his decision in 2017, the former NASCAR driver said (as quoted by Autosport):

NASCAR driver Carl Edwards announces his retirement during a press conference at Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters. - Source: Imagn

"The reasons are pretty straightforward. I am truly personally satisfied with my career. I know you're thinking 'you don't have a championship', but I don't race just for the trophies," Edwards said. "I feel accomplished. I know when I sit in that racecar I'm the best I can be. I'm really satisfied with that," Edwards said.

Following this, Carl Edwards revealed two more reasons behind his decision to retire.

"Second, this is an all-encompassing thing. I need to take time right now and devote it to people and things that are important to me.

The third reason is my health. I can stand here healthy after all the racing I've done and all the stupid stuff I've done in racecars."

Edwards retired from NASCAR after the 2016 season, the year before the sport added stage format. In his 13 years of illustrious career, he racked up 28 wins, 22 pole positions, and 220 Top 10s.

Despite such a brilliant track record, Carl Edwards did not win any Cup Series Championship. His best finish in a season was runners-up position, twice in 2008 and 2011.