THIS WEEK IN FORD RACING – NASCAR
Carl Edwards heads into this weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway looking to become only the third driver to sweep both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in a season since the track started running two races a year in 2005 (Kevin Harvick in 2006 and Jimmie Johnson in 2008). Edwards talked with Ford Racing about heading back to the desert as the 2013 season winds down.
CARL EDWARDS, No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion – WHAT CLICKED FOR YOU IN THE SPRING THAT ULTIMATELY LED YOU TO VICTORY? “The biggest thing that helped us at Phoenix was our pit crew. We had awesome pit stops and kept coming out three or four spots ahead of where we were running and that ultimately is what won us the race. The car was very fast too and in practice we had a car that was fast enough that really I don’t think anybody was going to pass us as long as we were in front of them. The other thing that helped was Brad Keselowski on that last restart really pushed me out there. That was the second race in a Ford for Brad and for him to do that and give us that little bump it really meant a lot.”
SINCE YOU BRING IT UP, HOW HAS THE RELATIONSHIP BEEN WITH BRAD THIS YEAR? “I think, not just between me and Brad, but between me, Brad, Joey — all the Penske guys and Roush — it has been a good relationship. At the end of the day, we have seen that we can all benefit by helping one another and that is huge. The more we can work together, the better off we will be.”
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE BEHIND THE WHEEL, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SPRING AND FALL RACES AT PHOENIX? “Boy, they are awfully far apart and it seems like the sport evolves so much in that time between the races that it really doesn’t feel like it is the same season. So much happens and so many guys figure things out with the cars that, to me, each time we go back there – I guess it is a longer time between the spring and fall race than it is the fall and spring race. I would say it is a pretty big change.”
YOU TALKED ABOUT MOMENTUM AT TEXAS AND YOU ARE STARTING TO BELIEVE IN IT. CAN YOU CARRY MOMENTUM THOUGH FROM THE SPRING RACE TO THIS RACE? “Of course. We go in there expecting to win this race and we know we can do it. We have good notes to go off of and a good place to start. I don’t know if it is purely momentum but a good run like that makes it easier to know what you have to do to have a good car and if we can just go out there and repeat all of that stuff, then we will be alright.”
