Crunch-Time for Edwards, Time to Tame Martinsville

Edwards best Martinsville finish was runner-up in Truck Series (Getty)

Carl Edwards
Team: No. 99 Scotts Winterguard Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-791 This is a new car


QUOTES


Carl Edwards on racing at Martinsville Speedway: “I am a little nervous about Martinsville. I think if we can pick up just a tiny bit of speed there we will be good. Otherwise, that will be one of the tracks we go to and just fight and claw for a top 10 and that is how it usually is for me there. I would like to be surprised and would love to run better but I am a little nervous about that one to be honest.”

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Martinsville Speedway: “Martinsville is definitely a race track that we are looking at to be probably the most difficult for us in the Chase. We’ve run well there. We’ve run poorly there. I think we have enough notes and package going back that is going to be competitive. We will just have to wait and see what we get when we unload there and start practice.”

FAST FACTS

* THE CHASE IS ON… Carl Edwards enters Martinsville leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, by 14 points over teammate Matt Kenseth. He has earned one win, 16 top-five, 22 top-10 finishes and two poles this season.

* FOR THE RECORD… In 14 starts at the 0.526-mile track, Edwards has one top-five and four top-10 finishes. His average start is 18.2, and his average finish is 16.9. Edwards has completed 97.4 percent (6836 of 7019) of laps in Cup competition attempted at Martinsville Speedway.

* Edwards’ best career finish at Martinsville came back in 2003, when he finished second in the Camping World Truck Series race. He started that race from the pole. His best Cup finish was third in the fall of 2008.

* ON THE TRACK… The No. 99 crew will unload RK-791 for the weekend. This is a brand new car with the Scotts Winterguard paint scheme.

* REWIND, MARTINSVILLE, OCTOBER 2010… With 15 cautions for 90 laps of the race, Carl Edwards took advantage of other drivers’ impatience and a smart pit strategy to finish in eighth place.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release