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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Edwards And Talladega – A Year Later
Carl Edwards is eager to race at Talladega Superspeedway, site of his spectacular crash one year ago...
Mike Hembree  |  Posted April 20, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Carl Edwards' car goes airborne on the final lap last April at Talladega Superspeedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
As long as he races at Talladega Superspeedway, Carl Edwards will have a unique tie to the Alabama track.

A year ago, Edwards was the focal point of one of the most spectacular wrecks in recent NASCAR history – and one of the worst ever at Talladega, a track that has seen some wickedly twisted metal in its 40 years.

Edwards fell victim to a wildly charging Brad Keselowski in the race’s final seconds, losing the lead – and total control of his race car. Keselowski ran into the side of Edwards’ car approaching the checkered flag, pushing Edwards into a slide, then a flip and then a sensational ride into the catch fence separating the speedway from the main grandstand.

As Keselowski crossed the finish line for his first Sprint Cup victory, Edwards’ car was shedding pieces and parts into the grandstand, injuring several spectators. Remarkably, Edwards was not hurt. In a moment of bizarre entertainment, Edwards climbed from his car and ran on foot to the finish line to “finish” the race. Of course, it didn’t count.

At the time, Edwards was not aware of the problems in the grandstand, where medical personnel were rushing to assist injured spectators.

A year later, Edwards has replayed the wreck over and over in his head. It always ends the same.

“That was just wild,” Edwards said. “That was very close to winning my first race at a [restrictor-plate] superspeedway, and I learned a lot from it. I hope going back that I can find somebody to work with those last couple laps, whether it’s Brad or somebody else.

“It would be nice to be in that position again and have another chance to do that, and I think we will, eventually. But that was a really dramatic finish. I guess I’m looking forward to that race a little more now because of how close we were than maybe I would have in the past.”

The most seriously injured fan was Blake Bobbitt, a then 17-year-old girl whose jaw was broken by flying wreckage. She and Edwards have talked several times since the accident.

“I’m just so glad everybody was all right,” Edwards said. “Any time there’s a wreck like that, whether it’s that one or Atlanta or Joey’s [Logano] wreck at Dover, anytime you see a wreck that’s like, ‘Whoa, that’s not good,’ you’re just glad that everybody gets out of it and everybody ends up being OK.

“I think Blake Bobbitt and her family will probably be there again, and I’m so happy that she didn’t hold it against us for what happened to her. She’s a real positive young girl.

“It’s just part of racing. Wrecks are going to happen. She reacted to that whole deal better than anyone could have. She’s so cool. … That made me understand our fans a lot better. We race on the inside of these race tracks, and I can only speak for myself, but you start to think of the fans a certain way. It’s not bad, but she reminded me of what the NASCAR fans are about.”

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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