2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B-

" 2014 will be year two in the Gen-6 car and Ford should make some kind of improvement. If Ford does find more speed in 2014 it should mean Carl can get back off to a fast start but will he continue it this time?" -Season Preview

That was my statement to start the 2014 season in Carl Edwards Driver Preview. The problem with that? Roush Fenway Racing Ford's did not find speed in 2014. Actually, the RFR Ford's may have been worse the year one in the Gen-6 cars. But, it wasn't just the Fords, as Team Penske was one of the fastest teams all season.

Something was missing at RFR and maybe that could have been the reason for Carl's end of the season news that he was moving to Joe Gibb's Racing. Or, maybe it was the fact that Carl knows JGR is a premiere NASCAR program right now and should have a huge bounce back in 2015? 

However, after stating all the downfalls of RFR in 2014 Carl Edwards still fought through and ended the season with two wins. Was he one of the fastest cars week to week? No. Was he always contending for a top 5? No. But, did he make the Chase? Yes. With 10 races to go in the season did he put himself in position to win a Championship? Yes.

That's where the high points might end for Carl, though. He only notched three top 10's during the Chase which just isn't enough to get it done. He also finished outside the top 15 five times in those ten races.

Carl Edwards did keep fighting in 2014 even though he could have easily had his mind set on a new team in 2015. As a whole RFR's season didn't go the way it was planned, but for Carl Edwards that will be a thing of the past in 2015. 

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