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  Carl Edwards
Car number: 99 • Manufacturer: Ford • Sponsor: Office Depot
Owner: Jack Roush • Team: Roush Racing • Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
2005 Season
Final Points Standing3rd
After First 26 Races8th
Earnings$6,893,157
Starts36
Poles2
Wins4
Top 513
6-105
Laps Led434
Lead Lap Finishes26
Bonus Points65
Races Led12
2005 Performance
Below is the ranking of the team on each type of track along with the driver's best finish.
Track TypeRanking
Flat Tracks2nd
Best Finish 1st, Pocono
Intermediate Tracks4th
Best Finish 1st, Atlanta (2), Texas
Plate Tracks19th
Best Finish 5th, Talladega
Road Courses31st
Best Finish 19th, Watkins Glen
Short Tracks32nd
Best Finish 21st, Richmond (2)
2006 Spin
Where did this kid come from? Carl Edwards caught everyone's eye in 2004 when he notched five top 10 finishes in only 13 starts, but no one expected a legitimate title run as a sophomore.

Edwards' bread and butter are the flat and intermediate tracks. His four wins came at venues 1.5-miles and longer. The Roush engineers had a lot to do with this, as each Roush machine enjoyed success on these tracks, but Edwards' raw talent should not be downplayed. Remember, this is a car that had gone winless since October 2001 (and sponsorless since 2003).

Edwards' main concern in 2006 should be continuing his at-the-track education. With teammates like Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth, Edwards can learn from the best in the business. Note-sharing between all of the Roush teams should keep this stable of drivers at the top of the heap once again this season. Edwards stands to gain more than any other Roush pilot, save Jamie McMurray, as he is not yet an established star/champion. Of course, that appears to be changing.

While the Edwards/Bob Osborne combo may not have what it takes to win a title just yet, they're very close. One more season of asking questions and absorbing information, and they'll be a favorite.


2006 Recap
Carl Edwards came out swinging last season. An impressive 12th-place run in his first Daytona 500 was followed by a fifth and a 14th before his thrilling Atlanta win. Slinging and sliding his car through the turns over the final three circuits, Edwards nipped Jimmie Johnson at the line after what we still believe were the most thrilling last laps of the 2005 season.

The team wouldn't stay hot for too long. A mean stretch of races that included trips to Bristol, Martinsville, Talladega and Richmond sank the 99 team down to 13th in the point standings.

A steady climb back toward the top ensued, as the circuit raced to its climax. Two Chase wins and five additional top 10s later, Edwards settled for third in the point standings, a mere 35 points behind Tony Stewart.

The Good: The four wins in his first 47 starts tied Edwards with Tony Stewart for the most wins in the fewest number of races to start a career.

The Bad: Fresh off his win in Atlanta, Edwards crashed in qualifying and was forced to a backup at Bristol. It didn't get any prettier, as he tore up the car early and limped home to a 26th-place finish, 53 laps down.

The Ugly: The spring Martinsville event, where Edwards spun early and wrecked late, relegating him to a 38th-place run and dropping him out of the top 10 in the point standings.


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