Edwards: ‘I’m so excited about the things that are coming at Kentucky and Michigan’

CONCORD, N.C. — Asked about his thoughts on the changes to the aero package being tested in the coming weeks, Carl Edwards said he’s “excited about the things that are coming at Kentucky and Michigan.”

Speaking in the media center during his weekly media availability, the driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota gave some thoughts on the direction toward lower downforce and the quality of the racing this season.

“It’s all right there, the proof is there, all year we’ve had awesome racing and we have close finishes,” Edwards said in response to being asked about how excited he is about the changes to the aero package. “I mean, yeah things didn’t go exactly as planned at the All-Star event, but that was a new format and a lot of unforeseen things happened, but the racing on the track was good and it’s been good all year. I already sent Steve O’Donnell (NASCAR executive vice-president and chief racing development officer) a thank you text. I’m so excited about the things that are coming at Kentucky and Michigan. NASCAR is doing that it takes, the teams are doing what it takes to go out and figure out how to make this the best racing it can be. This is going to be a blast. These cars, I’m telling you, when you drive them sideways at 200 mph and you’re closing on people and you’re able to pressure them and race like that, that’s as good as it gets. I’m very excited about Michigan and Kentucky, it’s like Christmas for me.”

During last week’s All-Star Race, NASCAR tested smaller changes to the aero package such as welding the truck arm mounts, which had been in place since Kansas, reducing the number of brake fans the cars can use and not allowing teams to skew the rear-end of the car. The end result was racing that fans, drivers and media said was “excellent.”

After the race, Senior Vice-President of Competition Scott Miller said that the truck arm welding and brake fan reduction will remain in place for the remainder of the season, but that the rear-end skew rule won’t be implemented for the rest of the season.

Friday, NASCAR announced that further reductions to downforce will be tested in the upcoming FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway and the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. The changes include a reduction of the spoiler from 3.5 to 2.5 inches, a two-inch reduction in the size of the splitter and resizing the deck fin.

When asked how surprised at how far NASCAR has come in a short span of time in regards to the changes in downforce, he said he’s “really happy with the way things are going, but I think its NASCAR’s job to run this sport the best that they can and they’ve done a really good job over the last 50 or 60 years. They’ve made this into what it is so a healthy dose of skepticism when a bunch of drivers come and tell you what they want probably serves them well. Right now, literally, I can go to anyone at NASCAR – Mike Helton or Brian (France) or Steve O’Donnell whether it’s through the council, I can go talk to them and there’s a lot of communication back and forth. It doesn’t mean we don’t get just as many penalties or black flags or whatever, the competition is still the competition, but it’s pretty neat right now that everyone wants to make the racing the absolute best it can be and people are listening. That’s all you can hope for.”

He was also asked if there were any negatives to the package.

“There are absolutely no negatives,” Edwards said. “This sport, to me, and I can speak as a fan – until I got that call from Jack Roush, this was just something I dreamed of doing and watched on television and the things that I grew up watching drivers do with these race cars. Like that picture with cars sideways and hanging it out, stock car racing, NASCAR racing is built on that. I can’t applaud NASCAR enough for going that direction. I don’t see any negatives. I think we’re just going to have better and better racing.”

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

Tucker White
Tucker White
I've followed NASCAR for well over 20 years of my life, both as a fan and now as a member of the media. As of 2024, I'm on my ninth season as a traveling NASCAR beat writer. For all its flaws and dumb moments, NASCAR at its best produces some of the best action you'll ever see in the sport of auto racing. Case in point: Kyle Larson's threading the needle pass at Darlington Raceway on May 9, 2021. On used-up tires, racing on a worn surface and an aero package that put his car on the razor's edge of control, Larson demonstrated why he's a generational talent. Those are the stories I want to capture and break down. In addition to NASCAR, I also follow IndyCar and Formula 1. As a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, I'm a diehard Tennessee Volunteers fan (especially in regards to Tennessee football). If covering NASCAR doesn't kill me, down the road, watching Tennessee football will. I'm also a diehard fan of the Atlanta Braves, and I lived long enough to see them win a World Series for the first time since 1995 (when I was just a year old). I've also sworn my fan allegiance to the Nashville Predators, though that's not paid out as much as the Braves. Furthermore, as a massive sports dork, I follow the NFL on a weekly basis. Though it's more out of an obligation than genuine passion (for sports dorks, following the NFL is basically an unwritten rule). Outside of sports, I'm a major cinema buff and a weeb. My favorite film is "Blazing Saddles" and my favorite anime is "Black Lagoon."

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