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Sprint Cup
CUP: Edwards – ‘You Have To Keep Going’
Carl Edwards hopes to turn a runner-up season into gold this year…
Carl Edwards (Right) and crew chief Bob Osborne (Left) confer in the garage area at Daytona International Speedway during last month's preseason test. (Photo: Getty Images)
Carl Edwards’ thought process is aligned in such a way that he wants to put the 2011 season behind him and build a bigger platform for success this year.
But Edwards knows that observers will continue discussing his knife’s-edge loss of the 2011 title to Tony Stewart, and he has fully analyzed all of it.
“We put ourselves in position to win, and Tony and those guys just did a better job, gambled more than we did and won,” Edwards said. “That is racing. I guess your question is did I really mourn it. I truly wish I would have won it, but I understand what happened and how it happened. I am glad I get to race this year and next year and go fight for it again.”
The off-season brought the opportunity to examine the year just past in the Roush Fenway Racing shop, and Edwards said crew chief Bob Osborne defended his team’s approach to the final laps of the season, a defense that really wasn’t necessary, Edwards said.
“Right off the bat, Jack (team co-owner Jack Roush) was asking what could we do differently, and Bob, without hesitation, said, ‘If I had to run it over again, I would do the exact same thing. We did the right things, and we did the best we could, and if we do that every time we will be fine.’
“I looked at Bob and thought, ‘Man, I am glad you are my crew chief.’ When I think of those last few races, I am personally proud of the way all of us performed.”
Edwards said the frustration associated with the 2011 finale won’t bleed into this season.
“I like to believe that we are wise enough to not let that get the best of us and just go perform and do the best we can,” he said. “That is competition. That is life. You have to keep going and do the best you can.
“I was excited for the season to start, and I feel more true confidence than I have had in a long time and feel we are doing well for the right season and have everything lined up. I don’t think that would be any different if we would have won. The season is going to be what it is, and I feel like we are going to be good.”
Edwards said he doesn’t plan to fall victim to the course of events that sometimes causes a second-place finisher to suddenly become a non-entity the following season.
“This sport is tough,” he said. “Your success last year does not guarantee you anything right now. That is the way this sport is.
“We have made the mistake of resting on our laurels and focusing on a couple little things, but you can’t do that. You have to keep looking at everything.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
DAYTONA PRESEASON THUNDER TESTING: During the Jan. 12-14 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, fans can submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the #daytonatesting hashtag.
But Edwards knows that observers will continue discussing his knife’s-edge loss of the 2011 title to Tony Stewart, and he has fully analyzed all of it.
“We put ourselves in position to win, and Tony and those guys just did a better job, gambled more than we did and won,” Edwards said. “That is racing. I guess your question is did I really mourn it. I truly wish I would have won it, but I understand what happened and how it happened. I am glad I get to race this year and next year and go fight for it again.”
The off-season brought the opportunity to examine the year just past in the Roush Fenway Racing shop, and Edwards said crew chief Bob Osborne defended his team’s approach to the final laps of the season, a defense that really wasn’t necessary, Edwards said.
“Right off the bat, Jack (team co-owner Jack Roush) was asking what could we do differently, and Bob, without hesitation, said, ‘If I had to run it over again, I would do the exact same thing. We did the right things, and we did the best we could, and if we do that every time we will be fine.’
“I looked at Bob and thought, ‘Man, I am glad you are my crew chief.’ When I think of those last few races, I am personally proud of the way all of us performed.”
Edwards said the frustration associated with the 2011 finale won’t bleed into this season.
“I like to believe that we are wise enough to not let that get the best of us and just go perform and do the best we can,” he said. “That is competition. That is life. You have to keep going and do the best you can.
“I was excited for the season to start, and I feel more true confidence than I have had in a long time and feel we are doing well for the right season and have everything lined up. I don’t think that would be any different if we would have won. The season is going to be what it is, and I feel like we are going to be good.”
Edwards said he doesn’t plan to fall victim to the course of events that sometimes causes a second-place finisher to suddenly become a non-entity the following season.
“This sport is tough,” he said. “Your success last year does not guarantee you anything right now. That is the way this sport is.
“We have made the mistake of resting on our laurels and focusing on a couple little things, but you can’t do that. You have to keep looking at everything.”
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
DAYTONA PRESEASON THUNDER TESTING: During the Jan. 12-14 test sessions at Daytona International Speedway, fans can submit questions and comments through Twitter @SPEED (http://www.twitter.com/speed) using the #daytonatesting hashtag.
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