What’s Happening?

On Thursday, Carl Edwards spoke to the media for the first time since being elected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He discussed various topics, including the one capacity he might get back into the NASCAR limelight: broadcasting. Could we see Carl Edwards in the booth in 2025?

• Carl Edwards has some experience in the broadcast booth. He joined Fox as a guest commentator during the spring race at Darlington in 2023 and joined the ESPN broadcast team for a few Xfinity Series races in the 2010s.
• NASCAR has three new media rights partners joining the fray in 2025. Amazon Prime and TNT combine to broadcast the middle 10 races of the Cup Series season while The CW joins to broadcast the full Xfinity Series season.
• Fans would love to see Carl Edwards back in the booth. Especially considering that he could be alongside one of the biggest celebrity names in NASCAR.

What Edwards Had to Say and his Booth Experience

I think if I were to come back in a regular capacity, what I enjoyed was being up in the booth. I enjoyed kind of calling the race to whatever degree I did there for 45 minutes or whatever. That part I enjoyed so maybe, something like that, but I don’t have anything lined up right now. But, [I’m] definitely much more open to that than ever have been. Like I said, I just, I had a good time.

Carl Edwards

Edwards admits that he has nothing planned currently, but he enjoyed being in the broadcast booth at Darlington in 2023. It’s something he has a decent amount of experience with as well.

It all started in 2011 when he joined the studio cast for a NASCAR Xfinity Series (then known as the Nationwide Series) broadcast at New Hampshire. That day, Edwards learned that the cameras are always rolling.

Edwards joined the ESPN booth again for an Xfinity Series race in 2013. He teamed up with Allen Bestwick and Andy Petree in the booth for a wild race down to the last lap after a long rain delay.

When Edwards left the sport in 2016, he was largely absent from all corners. However, he popped up again in 2023 at Darlington, as one of the drivers honored as a part of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list. He later joined the booth during the race and did a solid job alongside Clint Bowyer and Mike Joy.

All that to say, Edwards has been in the booth before, and he’s proven himself to be serviceable. Coincidentally, NASCAR is welcoming some brand-new broadcast partners.

Where Could He Broadcast

In 2025, Prime Video (Amazon) and TNT (Warner Bros. Discovery) join the NASCAR Cup Series TV schedule. Both will broadcast the middle 10 races of the season with Prime Video getting the first five and TNT getting the last five (TNT’s portion will encompass NASCAR’s in-season tournament). The CW also joins to broadcast the full Xfinity Series schedule.

Joining The CW sounds like a stretch for Edwards, as that likely means a full-season commitment. Is Edwards ready to jump back into NASCAR that much? This comment he gave when discussing why he left the sport calls that into question.

 I woke up one day, and I said, ‘Hey, like, there’s there’s some serious other things, you know, my life, the things that are laid in front of me, the things that no one else will do. That’s to be the best husband I can be. The best father I can be to Stewart. You know all the things that have been given to me, and so that’s what I’ve been doing the last seven years. But, you’re right Greg, if as time goes on, I mean you know, there’s a whole another world after, hopefully, after successfully raising kids, and who knows?

Carl Edwards

Even if jumping into something like The CW would be a big leap, how about joining Amazon Prime and TNT for only 10 Cup Series race broadcasts? Sure, the two entities split practice and qualifying broadcasts as well, but who’s to say Edwards has to commit to those?

He would also join one of NASCAR’s biggest names, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Fans would go wild to see Earnhardt Jr. and Edwards in the booth together.

Overall, moving to something like Amazon is merely hypothetical, but Edwards is interested in at least testing the waters of broadcasting. Who knows what the future holds?

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