Carl Edwards leaves NASCAR fans taken aback with | Sports News

Carl Edwards and Chase Elliott are two of NASCAR‘s most recognizable names from two distinct eras, however their greatness on the monitor alone hasn’t been enough to supply a vital bond between the 2 drivers.

During the NASCAR Prime preshow on FOX earlier than the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, which needed to be red-flagged for a second after Alex Bowman’s scary crash, Elliott walked onto the set and sat subsequent to Edwards and Corey LaJoie. Host Danielle Trotta greeted him, saying, “We’ve been waiting for you, and Carl is so psyched to meet you, man.”

Speculation spilled onto the web, with fans confused by the timeline and questioning whether or not the 2 had really by no means interacted during Elliott’s rookie season or Edwards’ remaining races. Trotta later clarified the scenario, posting that they particularly referred to on-air moments on the FOX Sports desk in Charlotte.

“We said we’ve been looking forward to having him on the desk because it was the first time for us with him pre or post,” she defined on X.

Edwards leaned in with admiration and stated, “It’s so cool” to lastly have an alternative to satisfy the 2020 Cup Series champion.“In every meeting, it’s ‘Do we get Chase this week, do we get Chase?’ For me, it’s about being a champion. We know you’re fast,” stated Edwards.

Elliott remained humble as he obtained reward and shared his ideas on staying close to home, his profession perspective, and how Edwards’ journey has influenced his own. Although he drives for Hendrick Motorsports, based mostly within the coronary heart of racing in Charlotte, the Georgia native chooses to keep in his hometown of Dawsonville.

“The biggest one is, home is home, you know? That’s just important to me. Sometimes, you can get too caught up in everything. I had a lot of admiration for how you did things… You have folks that you look up to and admire. I always appreciated that about Carl,” he stated.

Edwards was born in Missouri, attended the University of Missouri in his hometown of Columbia, and admitted to staying close to home all through his profession. Edwards and Elliott might have lastly “met” at a tv desk in 2025, however their competitiveness on the monitor dates back to the 2010s.

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Elliott and Edwards shared the NASCAR Cup Series stage for 41 races through Racing-Reference. Their first encounter got here during the 2015 STP 500, the place Edwards completed in seventeenth and Elliott resulted in thirty eighth. The race was gained by Denny Hamlin, who additionally ended up profitable at Michigan on Sunday.

Their final recorded showdown got here during the Ford EcoBoost 400 in 2016, by which Edwards crashed out after ranging from tenth place and Elliott completed in eleventh for Rick Hendrick within the NAPA Auto Parts Chevy. Edwards got here out higher in head-to-head races in opposition to Elliott, ending increased in 21 of their 41 shared begins. The 2025 Hall of Fame inductee additionally earned 5 Cup Series victories in that span in comparison with Elliott’s zero.