At first glance, Carl Edwards is a simple family man who lives on a farm in Columbia, Missouri. As an athlete who is a Hall of Famer in his respective sport of NASCAR racing, there’s not a hint of brashness in his voice.
Yet, Edwards is one of the best NASCAR drivers of his generation. The humble 45-year-old won 28 NASCAR Cup Series races in a career that culminated with his enshrinement in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in February.
On May 25, Edwards will once again be one of the stars of a NASCAR telecast, though he’ll trade in a firesuit for a suit and tie and a steering wheel for a teleprompter as he provides analysis for Prime Video’s pre- and post-race coverage of five NASCAR Cup Series races.
Edwards’ retirement in January of 2017 shocked the NASCAR world. After all, he was fresh off a Championship 4 appearance in 2016, and while he heartbreakingly lost the championship, he was at the top of his game.
But Edwards, being a man who knows racing isn’t the end game of his life, was content with his career. In his Hall of Fame induction speech in February, he said he was grateful not to have won the championship in 2016. When Kyle Larson offered Edwards the opportunity to practice his car at North Wilkesboro while Larson qualified for the Indianapolis 500, Edwards politely declined.
After being mostly radio silent in the years following his retirement, Edwards began to creep back into the NASCAR scene. He was at Darlington in May of 2023 when he was recognized as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. He drove the pace car at Kansas in September of 2024, and was the honorary starter at Darlington in April.
Starting on May 25, he’ll be one of the faces of Prime Video’s studio coverage of NASCAR as he works alongside host Danielle Trotta and fellow driver-analyst Corey LaJoie.
Nearly a decade removed from his retirement from NASCAR, Edwards said that after getting to know the Prime Video crew, he knew it was the right time to come back to the sport, albeit in a different capacity.
“I’ve been shocked at the way the sport has welcomed me,” Edwards told Yardbarker in a virtual news conference on Monday. “I really know what it’s like to be part of the NASCAR family. It’s a really good feeling.”
Edwards wasn’t sure about the opportunity to work with Prime Video – until Sr. Coordinating producer Alex Strand and others from the team came to his house in Columbia to talk with him.
“They came all the way to Columbia, Missouri,” Edwards said. “We had a heck of a fun day. As we sat around my table, at my house, with my family, I realized that this Prime team, they’re fans. They love sports. They love being at the events. All of that came together. NASCAR welcomed me back for five races. I thought, ‘This will be an adventure. My family’s coming with me. Why not? Let’s go do it.”
After talking with fellow talent in Steve Letarte — a former crew chief with a decade of TV experience — and fellow Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., Edwards knew that the opportunity was one he couldn’t pass up.
“I’m just so grateful that Prime came all the way out to Missouri and talked me into this,” Edwards said. “The timing just feels right.”
For everyone who watched Edwards’ race, seeing him come back to NASCAR feels right, too.
All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
