June 27, 2008
By Rebecca Gladden
Phoenix International Raceway hosts two NASCAR Cup races a year - one in temperate April, the other in cool November.
This is June, however, and high temperatures in Phoenix last week were about 115 degrees - sizzling for this time of year, even by local standards.
So it was indeed a rare treat for desert-dwelling NASCAR fans when A-list driver Carl Edwards braved the heat and paid a visit to the Valley of the Sun on his way to the Sprint Cup race in Northern California.
Fortunately for Carl and hundreds of devoted fans who came to see him, it was cool and comfortable inside the F1 Race Factory, the indoor go-kart facility that hosted Edwards' visit.
"It's just really fun to come out here. This is a neat facility," said Edwards, whose schedule included meeting with reporters, participating in a fan Q&A session, and - the highlight of the day - competing in four 5-lap races against local fans and media members.
If his go-kart prowess is any indication, it's obvious why Edwards is among the top drivers in NASCAR.
"I'm not really a go-kart racer," he said apologetically before the on-track action began. Then, starting every heat in last place, he effortlessly drove to the front to win all four races - though he admitted a bit of a challenge in the first one.
"There was one young guy out there who was really fast," he said. "If he'd have taken that last corner a little differently, he would have beat me."
The same can't be said about me. Driving in the second heat, I can now claim that I not only "raced" against Carl Edwards, but was lapped by him.
Twice.
Still not half bad, considering the Roush-Fenway star is fourth in Sprint Cup point standings with three wins and 12 top-10 finishes in 16 races this year.
While easygoing with fans, Edwards bristled a bit when asked about the so-called "Shut Up and Drive" meeting - NASCAR's closed-door session with Cup drivers two weeks ago - insisting that was not the intended message.
"That's not what it was," he said. "If people want to turn it into that, that's fine - they can do that. The bottom line is, it's just a nice little reminder that we've got it really good, and we're all in this together. If we've got complaints or things that we want to change, that's one thing. But try to be positive about it. Because this really is a good thing."
Seemingly determined to take his own advice, Edwards capitalized on his time with the fans in Phoenix, cheerfully signing autographs, posing for photos and fielding questions about everything from his racing career to his personal life.
Arguably one of the sport's current megastars, the Missouri native appeared every bit the friendly Midwesterner, even as a child in the crowd stumped him during the fan Q&A session.
"What's your favorite song?" the young boy asked.
"My favorite song? Hmm. Wow. That's a tough one. I don't know," Edwards said. "What's yours?"
"I don't have one."
"Well if you don't have one, how can you expect me to?" he laughed, adding that the most recent CD he listened to was Simon and Garfunkel.
Perhaps it is Edwards' fond memories of Phoenix International Raceway that created the good vibes during his visit here. "In 2001, I brought a Silver Crown car out here, and this was the first place I ever raced on pavement," recalled the former dirt tracker. "It was a huge moment in my career."
Now in his fifth year of competition at the Sprint Cup level, the 28-year-old finds himself in something of a sandwich generation. He's older than the sport's youngest phenoms (Kyle Busch, for example, age 23; Joey Logano, age 18), but younger than many Cup veterans in their 30s and 40s.
I asked Carl how he sees the generational differences between the two age groups, with some older drivers recently bemoaning a lack of respect from the younger set.
"Well, I feel like I'm right in between," he said. "But I think that's going to be there forever. No one likes somebody coming in - I mean, all throughout the animal kingdom, it's a struggle through eternity. Racing is no different."
One thing that keeps Edwards young is his devotion to physical fitness, which includes a variety of workouts, cross-training activities and plenty of outdoor exercise. "I do the best I can to try to always stay in shape," he said.
While NASCAR's recent Power of Positive Thinking sermon seemed to annoy some drivers, it really wasn't a stretch for Carl Edwards.
Optimism is his natural setpoint.
The Roush-Fenway star will bring his trademark enthusiasm to New Hampshire this weekend, as he tries to extend his current record of seven straight top-10 finishes.
Edwards is the number one "closer" in the series this year, gaining more spots in the last 10% of each race than any other driver.
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