Teammates Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards finally discuss Richmond clash
No, it wasn’t an olive branch that Carl Edwards extended to Kyle Busch this week.
Carl Edwards, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Action Sports Photography
It was actually a box of chocolates — from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate’s sponsor Mars.
After two weeks of silence, following Edwards bump-and-run on Busch in the last turn at Richmond International Raceway, the driver of the No. 19 Arris Toyota feels everything is “good” — at least for the time being.
“Mars sends a really nice box of chocolates to the winner of each race and they sent me a congratulatory box of chocolates and Kyle and I had talked in the morning and I saw him in the shop, so went over there and asked him if he’d sign the box and he did and he laughed and we took a picture and I thought that was pretty neat,” Edwards told Motorsport. “I think we’re good. I think if he’s chasing me down on the last lap at Richmond next time, I better watch out, but that’s racing. I think it’s good.”
The truce could not have come at a better time for Edwards. The Columbia, Mo. driver has yet to win a Sprint Cup race at his home track and desperately seeks at victory at Kansas Speedway.
Under the direction of crew chief Dave Rogers, Edwards believes that Saturday will be his best opportunity to accomplish the feat.
“There is no bigger win – there would be no bigger win for me,” Edwards said. “This would be as big as the Daytona 500 or the Brickyard 400 for me, so it really means a lot and we’ve got the team to do it right now. I look at this as an opportunity to make that dream come true.
“Somebody told me Clint (Bowyer) was running the Truck race, so I hadn’t thought of that. I should maybe think about doing more of that.”
Edwards won the 2004 Camping World Truck Series race for Jack Roush. Similar to the response Edwards received when he raced the lower tours at Gateway Motorsports Park — in Madison, Ill., two hours east of Columbia — the driver recounts his one and only truck win at Kansas.
“That Truck win here was so spectacular,” Edwards said. “That’s the only time I’ve ever heard the crowd in the vehicle while the truck was still running and I tell people that story – I pulled down to do the back flip and I thought, ‘Man, there’s something wrong with this engine. Something’s not right,’ and I shut it off and I realized that was the crowd.
“That really means a lot to me. I feel like I have a lot of support here and I’m sure Clint feels the same way. It’s really cool to race here.”
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