NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR changes can help Edwards rebound

Published Jan. 15, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

When he first heard that NASCAR was considering taking the rear wing off of Sprint Cup cars and replacing it with a more traditional spoiler, Carl Edwards’ already considerable smile widened just a bit more.

Edwards, in fact, wouldn’t mind seeing NASCAR throw away the odd-looking wing and forget about the spoiler altogether, taking away even more downforce and making the cars as loose as possible.

That could favor Edwards’ aggressive, ragged-edge driving style, helping him return to the form that nearly won him a championship in 2008.

For Edwards, one of NASCAR’s most talented drivers, the more out of control the cars, the better. This is a driver who nearly knocked the wall down while trying to take the lead on the final lap at Kansas Speedway in 2008, and still finished second.

“I was beating up on (NASCAR Vice President of Competition) Robin Pemberton to make that spoiler about an inch high just to keep the rear end from coming off the ground, that would be fine with me,” Edwards said.

“If you pick everything from having wings on them all the way to where they drive around like they did in 1985, where they have no downforce, I would much rather have no downforce.

“If that’s the direction we’re going, I am 100 percent all for it. You can soften the tires then, you can drive the car sideways, you would be able to handle behind someone because you aren’t relying on downforce so much. I think all those things are good.”

Like other top drivers who excel at driving loose race cars — Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle — Edwards is eagerly anticipating NASCAR’s change, which is set to take place sometime after a late March test at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Such a move could help him and all of Roush Fenway Racing bounce back from a shockingly disappointing 2009 season.

Two years ago, Roush Fenway mounted a serious challenge to Hendrick Motorsports, with Edwards and teammate Biffle finishing second and third, respectively, in points.

Edwards led the way with a bust-out season, winning a career-high nine races and nearly catching champion Jimmie Johnson at the end.

But last year, Roush Fenway was off its game, winning just three races as an organization, its fewest victories since 2001. Matt Kenseth won the first two races of the season, but never won again. Roush’s only other victory came when now-departed Jamie McMurray won at Talladega in October.

Edwards and Biffle, who have 30 career victories between them, both went winless.

They believe, however, that Roush Fenway Racing can turn things around this season, making Biffle, Edwards and Kenseth all serious title contenders again.

Biffle says the organization has worked hard evaluating its program and making technical changes during the offseason. That and a host of recent tire tests should help, he said.

The team could also get a boost from the recent merger between Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports, which will be both be closely affiliated with Roush. Though Roush has the most to offer, it could get some technical help from RPM, a former Dodge team that championship crew chief Ray Evernham built and that features star driver Kasey Kahne.

“We’ve worked very hard this winter getting weight out of our cars, getting the center of gravity down, lightening them, working hard on our data acquisition and trying to understand our modeling better — working on aero,” Biffle says.

“Combining the technology somewhat from the RPM group, or the old Evernham stuff, has helped us a little bit, I think. ... I think we’re doing everything we can to be better.”

If Roush Fenway returns to form, Edwards stands the most to gain. He has been the organization’s biggest threat the past five years, winning 16 races and finishing second and third in points.

He knows his team must take a major step just to keep up with Johnson, the four-time defending champion.

“To beat Jimmie Johnson, you have to run like our team did in 2008,” Edwards says. “Literally, I felt like we could win every race we went to. We have to be that fast, and that feels really good. I’ve only had one season like that.

“You have to be perfect on pit road, qualify perfectly, have perfect strategy and perfect luck. That’s what they do; I don’t know how they do it.”

Though Edwards expects former Roush teammate Mark Martin to be Johnson’s biggest challenger again, he believes his No. 99 team can return to form and be a serious contender.

“I feel like our equipment is equal, but I don’t think we have it as figured out like they do. How to adjust the thing, whatever they are doing,” he says. “We’re not there, because we were in 2008. I know we can do it. I know we have the people and the equipment and the team, but we definitely have to be better.”