Ford Performance chief expects Carl Edwards NASCAR return

Alas, he’s less optimistic about Carl Edwards driving a Ford if/when he does come back.

Will he or won’t he? It sounds like a question for fans of a television drama, but for the NASCAR community, it applies mostly to the future plans of Carl Edwards.

Not many drivers finish as the Cup Series runner-up and then decide not to race the next season, but Edwards did exactly that during the off-season despite the fact that he’s not even 40 years old. he intentionally steered clear of the word “retirement,” instead framing his choice as stepping away from the sport, but to say it was a surprise is underselling it.

Since then, there has been all kinds of buzz about what Edwards might be up to, including things like running for political office. It’s also possible, despite racing for a top team in Joe Gibbs Racing, that there was something he didn’t like about his situation for some reason.

One thing history has shown us is that racers tend to race until there’s a clear sign they should hang up the firesuit, and since that’s not the case for Edwards, the consensus seems to be that he’ll participate in NASCAR Cup Series races again. Count the head of Ford Performance, Dave Pericak, in that group.

Pericak told Lee Spencer of Motorsport.com that he fully expects to see Edwards behind the wheel again.

"“I don’t know what Carl’s future looks like,” Pericak said. “We’ve had no conversations about that at all. I can tell you that, honestly. I personally believe that Carl’s coming back. That’s just a Dave Pericak thought, but I have no idea what’s going on with him.“No conversations, but you’ll see Carl Edwards in the sport again. That’s my two-cents worth.”"

Given Edwards’ long association with Ford as a member of the Roush camp prior to joining JGR, it’s possible to read that as a suggestion that he could resurface with a Ford team. But Pericak also told Spencer any potential return is likely to be with the same team he just left.

"“In that press conference, I thought he said that if he comes back, he was going right back to see Mr. Gibbs,” Pericak said. “Listen, who wouldn’t want a championship-caliber driver such as Carl Edwards in their camp? But I don’t think that’s his intention. I think his intention is to go back to Joe Gibbs Racing.”"

If that’s the case, why take a break in the first place? It could be that he wanted to spend time with his wife and kids, or he might have been worn down from a combination of the always grueling NASCAR season combined with the mental anguish of coming so close to a championship without capturing it. Only Edwards knows for sure.

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One thing’s for sure: if and when Edwards calls a press conference saying he’s back, every team and manufacturer is going to be lining up to see if he wants to drive for them. Ford included.