“This is what we need every week”: Robby Gordon’s former employee reveals Carl Edwards’ head turning reaction to an unprecedented modification

There was a time when Carl Edwards made a few test laps in one of the first skewed cars in NASCAR and loved it. In a recent episode of It's Not the Car podcast, Chris Andrews, a longtime car builder and mechanic for ex-NASCAR racer Robby Gordon, recalled the same.

NASCAR's skewed cars appear to be pointing in a different direction than they run. This happens when the rear axle is placed at a specific degree against the chassis. The asymmetry generates an enhanced side force, thus facilitating better balance and speed.

"The guys (at the shop), they're like oh, we're gonna change the rear-end housing at 3 o'clock and I was like, let's do it," Andrews recalled. "So (we) put the rear-end housing in. Carl (Edwards) gets in, does the out-lap, peels around the bottom one. He's coming off of Turn 2, down the back straight and he keys the mic and says, 'This is what we need every week!'"

"His lap (was) a tenth and a half faster than we've gone all day," Andrews added.

Between 2005 and 2016, Carl Edwards won 28 NASCAR Cup Series races, including crown jewel events like the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. His last victory came at the Texas Motor Speedway on November 7, 2016. He finished the season fourth on points.

To everyone's surprise, Edwards announced his retirement that year at the age of 37.

"I did it because I didn't think that was, at that time, that's not how the best way I wanted to spend my life," Edwards said during an earlier interview (via Forbes) "I wanted to focus on my family and go do all of these things outside of the sport."

In 2023, Edwards was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers. He is also a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee for the Class of 2025.

"It’s very humbling"- Carl Edwards on being named a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee

Carl Edwards was on a flight with his wife, Katherine, when NASCAR picked him for the prestigious honor. After they landed, Edwards' wife urged him to check his phone. Needless to say, the NASCAR vet was not expecting the news about his election.

"This honor is over the top," Carl Edwards told NASCAR in an interview. "I did not expect this in any way. I was shocked. It’s been a huge deal to me, much bigger than I ever would have expected."

"I called Randy Fuller (former Roush Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing senior media relations manager), and I was just blown away. I knew Randy wouldn’t mess with me like that. I was shocked, and I still am at how much it means to me. I wasn’t expecting to feel this way. It’s very humbling," he added.

Despite having numerous accolades in the sport, Carl Edwards was never able to win a championship. The closest he came to winning a title was in 2011 when he lost to Tony Stewart in an overtime tiebreaker. However, to this day, the 45-year-old man remains appreciative of NASCAR.

"The longer I’ve been away, I appreciate the sport more and more," Carl Edwards continued. "Last year, just the honor of being part of those 75 (Greatest) drivers, it shocked me how much fun it was to come back to Darlington to be a part of that, and I guess what I’m trying to say is the longer I am away, the more I appreciate it."

Carl Edwards amassed a total of 72 victories in NASCAR's national series races. He was best known for celebrating his victories with his iconic backflip.