By Sarah Handy, Staff Writer
In this week’s edition of Throwback Thursday, Kickin’ The Tires relives when then NASCAR driver Carl Edwards won the 2013 Federated Auto Parts 400 from Richmond Raceway on September 7, 2013 for Roush Fenway Racing.
With three laps remaining in the Federated Auto Parts 400 from Richmond Raceway, Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards took the lead from Paul Menard and never looked back.
Edwards had already clinched his place in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series playoffs but gladly took the second win of the season for himself and is No. 99 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes / Cheez-It Ford.
Four fresh tires on the final pit stop of the evening made all the difference for Edwards with Menard only taking on two tires.
“We’re going to win the championship,” said Edwards, who finished runner-up in the 10-race title run in 2008 and ’11. “That’s our mission. That seemed like a crazy idea a month and a half ago. Everyone’s rallied together, and I can’t say enough about all the guys at the shop. This championship would mean the world to me. “The next 10 weeks we’re going to be on it hard. They’re going to know we’re here.”, said Edwards post-race.
It was a wild race filled with crazy restarts and drama. When Clint Bowyer spun to bring out the final caution of the race there was much speculation following the event that Bowyer intentionally spun to help his Michael Waltrip Racing teammate, Martin Truex Jr., make the Chase.
Career Update:
Carl Edwards finished the 2013 season with two wins, nine Top-5s, 16 Top-10 finishes and ultimately finished 13th in the points standings.
On January 11, 2017 Edwards held a press conference announcing his retirement from racing, saying “I don’t have a life raft I’m jumping onto; I’m just jumping. And in a way, that makes it easier. This is a pure, simple, personal decision.”
Edwards indicated he wanted to pursue other opportunities; Daniel Suarez went on to replace Edwards for the 2017 season at Joe Gibbs Racing (Suarez is now with Stewart-Hass Racing).
In 13 seasons in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Edwards amassed 28 wins, 124 Top-5s, 220 Top-10s, and 22 pole awards in 445 starts.
He also saw success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series earning 38 wins, and the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Championship (Now Xfinity), as well as six wins in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series.