Carl Edwards once opened up on when he’s “ruthless” and when he’s “forgiving” in life

In 2011, Carl Edwards opened up about his personality inside and outside of the car. In an interview with renowned NASCAR journalist, Jeff Gluck, the former NASCAR driver revealed when he was "ruthless" and when he was "forgiving."

Edwards sat with Gluck, the then-SB Nation journalist, where he discussed everything about the sport and his personal life. During their conversation, Gluck asked him about the changes in his personality, to which Edwards had an interesting answer.

"I think it’s a lot different," he said about his personality. "And it should be. This is my sport, this is what I do. During the race, I’d say I’m a little more ruthless, because that’s what it is – it’s a race. It’s going to be over when the checkered flag falls, and you don’t get to do it again. But in life, I try to be much more forgiving and much more calm."

Edwards is a NASCAR veteran who has 445 races to his name in over 13 years. Between these times, the 46-year-old claimed 28 wins, 22 poles, and 220 Top 10s. He made his debut with the 2004 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan, and the 2016 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead was his final race.

Carl Edwards also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he has 245 races under his belt, with 38 wins, 27 Poles, and 174 Top 10s. His Truck Series numbers reflect 60 races, six wins, four poles, and 35 Top 10s.

The driver from Columbia, Missouri, is the 2007 Busch Series champion, two-time Cup Series runner-up, and a NASCAR Hall of Famer. Edwards is also one of NASCAR's Greatest 75 Drivers and is currently serving as an analyst for NASCAR on Prime Video.

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Carl Edwards revealed the driver he wanted to be while growing up

During the interview with Jeff Gluck, Carl Edwards revealed the name of the driver he wanted to be while growing up. Speaking about it, Edwards named Ken Schrader as his idol. Here's what he had to say about it:

Carl Edwards does his signature back flip after winning the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway - Source: Imagn

"Kenny Schrader. He’s my dad’s cousin, so I had met him when he was a kid. He would come through town and stuff, and he was the only guy who I had met that raced at this level. But no matter what, it always seemed like he really, really enjoyed what he was doing."

"And he raced everything. He raced a dirt Late Model and a dirt modified and a midget, and to me, that’s what I thought was neat about Schrader. He made it to this level, but, really, he just liked to race. That’s cool," he further added.

Ken Schrader is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Cup Series from 1984 to 2013, and has 763 races to his name. In these races, he claimed four wins, 23 pole positions, and 184 Top 10s.