Carl Edwards to Team Penske rumor shot down
By Nick Tylwalk
Carl Edwards may or may not return to NASCAR after this season, but at least for now, don’t expect it to be at the wheel of a third Penske ride.
When you walk away from your sport in the prime of your career but say you’re not necessarily retiring, as Carl Edwards did, you can expect rumors about your future to be hot commodities. And the latest one is a doozy.
It started when Gordon Kirby suggested (with a h/t to Jayski) that Edwards already had his 2018 plans figured out. Specifically, he’d be popping up at Team Penske after being paid an eye-popping amount of dough not to race during the 2017 season.
Here’s how Kirby described it:
"Meanwhile, I’m told that Edwards is being paid more than $15 million to sit-out this year and that he will return to action next year at the wheel of a third Penske Racing Ford. Penske runs two cars for Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano and has been planning to expand to three cars."
Kirby’s additional context is that his sources tell him that the father of Daniel Suarez, the driver who replaced Edwards in the #19, will buy Joe Gibbs Racing when Joe Gibbs is ready to retire. And Edwards was a Ford driver for years with Jack Roush before he joined Gibbs, and since Penske runs Fords, the pieces all start to align a bit.
Alas, SiriusXM NASCAR host Lewis Franck went right to the source and got a denial:
Then again, of course Penske would deny the rumor this far in advance. It wouldn’t make sense to address a possible expansion for 2018 before the 2017 season was even underway.
Edwards himself has commented on the rumors floating around regarding his status, including those that he has his eye on running for office. He’s also left the door wide open for a return to racing.
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So speculation on his plans beyond 2017 is definitely going to continue. In the meantime, Penske fans can dream of a three-car team with Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Edwards that would have to be considered the top organization in the sport.
Until the next Edwards gossip, anyway.