ACTION SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHYCarl Edwards said money was not the key factor in negotiating a new contract with Roush Fenway Racing.
By: Al Pearce on 8/05/2011
Neither driver Carl Edwards nor owner Jack Roush would reveal details of their new “multi-year” contract that Roush Fenway Racing announced on Thursday. For much of this season the media, fans, and competitors had played the game of “where will Carl go?” In the end, amid great scrutiny, he stayed put with Roush Fenway after listening to an offer from Joe Gibbs Racing.
On Friday, between practice sessions at Pocono Raceway, driver and owner finally talked about their deal. Well, they talked about the deal, but not the deal itself.
“First off, I wish I’d never confirmed that our (contract) was up this year because it would have been a lot quieter (otherwise),” Edwards said. “I looked at a lot of things, but at the end of the day, our negotiations and our deals and the things that I look at competitively are private matters. We went through the process, worked really hard and this is the outcome, and I’m proud to be here.
“I can say, just like I said earlier, that I learned a ton. I learned about Roush Fenway Racing and about Jack as a person and about me and what’s important to me. I learned about my competitors and you guys (the media), and I’m really appreciative for all those folks who were patient. We’re in a position now where our cars are fast and we have chances to win almost every week. We have the opportunity to go out and win this championship, to continue my partnership with Jack, to continue with Ford and the sponsors. I’m really happy with the way this turned out.”
Even after reminding the media he’d said he wouldn’t talk about contract details, he kept getting those questions. Politely, as is his way, he refused to answer. But he did politely offer these insights.
“From the beginning I said, ‘What would I do if money weren’t a factor and if I didn’t care what (anybody else) thought about my decision?’ ’’ he said. “It’s a decision that’s important to me and my family for all the hard work I’ve put in. For the path I’ve taken, for me personally. I act as my own agent and make my own decisions. I understand my own deals, and the decision was made under those thoughts.
“So that’s what made this simpler and that’s how I came to the conclusion. Whenever I’d start feeling that pressure start creeping in I’d think, ‘OK, let’s get back to the basics. Where can I win the most championships? And what would I do if other people’s opinions weren’t a factor?’ That helped me a ton and my family and Jack’s patience and Jack’s support helped me do that. When I talked to Jack on the phone he said, ‘Look, Carl, you do whatever you think is best for you.’ He said those words and that meant the world. It meant I didn’t have that pressure to do something for any reason other than what I thought was best. That was huge.”
Edwards said that contrary to widespread reports he didn’t make his decision based on a last-minute deal sweetener from Ford Motor Co.
“There was no last-minute money,” he said. “The idea that some people have run with is … well … first of all, the money numbers that I read are not correct and that’s all I’ll say about that. And if anybody who wants to publish any more of those numbers would like to come ask me if they’re correct, I’ll tell you they’re not correct.
“And then second: there was no difference in the deal at the last minute or anything else (that had to do with Ford corporately). My deal with Ford is that I believe in the company. I believe in the products they make and just like everyone else at Ford and Roush Fenway Racing, if Ford benefits, I have the potential to benefit from that success too. But there was no last-minute influx of money or anything like that. That’s a false assumption.”
Roush jumped in to say it wasn’t a factor from his side of the table, either.
“I’d like to make one follow-up comment on that, on the money thing,” he said on Friday. “The one thing Carl and I did not have a discussion about at any point in the negotiation or consideration was money. It was not a factor from my side, from the Roush Fenway side, and from what I could see it was not a factor from Carl’s side. That did not weigh into the decision Carl made.”
Finally, the timing of the announcement. Why now? Why not last week or last month or a month from now? What happened this week to convince Edwards it was time to end the suspense and re-sign with Roush Fenway? And in the end, what factor tipped him one way and not the other?
“I think staying was for the reasons we talked about,” Edwards said. “I just decided this is the right place for me. If I’d made this decision three months ago I might have had more second thoughts, I might have felt not as sure about it. To me, the fact I had the time I had and the opportunities, and Jack being as open as he was and showing me things that were going on. With the way Ford treated me through the process and showed me things that were gonna happen in the future. All that was a risk on their part because they didn’t have to show me those things.
“It took time for me to come to that conclusion. There wasn’t one thing at the end that changed my mind or made my decision different. When I made up my mind, you folks heard about it.”
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