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Edwards Signs Extension With Roush

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

RICHMOND, Va. - Carl Edwards briefly explored free agency before deciding to stay with Roush Fenway Racing for the next several years.

Edwards said Friday he signed a multiple-year contract extension to continue driving the No. 99 Ford, a decision that takes NASCAR's most sought-after free agent off the market.

"I'm staying with Roush," Edwards said. "I looked at everything and I talked to everybody and, for me, the No. 1 thing is looking into the future and saying, 'Where can I win the most races and have the most success?' I just feel like for me, personally, this is where I want to be for the near future."

With 10 career Cup victories, including three this year, Edwards topped the list of drivers available at the end of this season. Now Tony Stewart is presumably in the mix, with the two-time Cup champion testing the market a full year before his deal with Joe Gibbs Racing expires. But Edwards didn't want to wait to see how the Stewart situation unfolds, even if it meant the No. 20 Toyota eventually opened up.

For him, it was about loyalty to a program that signed him to a Truck Series ride in 2003, then made him a star when Edwards was promoted to the Cup level with 13 races left in the 2004 season. He's also the reigning Nationwide Series champion.

Team owner Jack Roush said there was at least one competing offer for Edwards, and that Edwards signed what Roush believed is a three-year deal.

"We've certainly been challenged there by another team, and Carl heard that challenge and considered very carefully what was there for him from a performance point of view and what the economic impact was of the offer we could make," Roush said. "That put us in a competition there that I'm happy came out favorably, but I was not thrilled to find out we were in that competition."

Meanwhile, Greg Biffle said he remains committed to staying with Roush and is negotiating only with that team.

"My 100 percent intent is to work out an extension with Roush," Biffle said. "I've sat back and thought about what else is out there. There are a lot of great teams and great opportunities out there, but I don't know how you look at it, but do you look at it as are they better than what I have now or how are they different than what I have now?"

Roush said he considered a deal with Biffle to be done.

That leaves Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman as the top remaining free agents. Dale Earnhardt Inc. holds an option on Truex that it wants to exercise, but Truex has to agree to the terms under the language of his existing deal.

Newman said he's happy at Penske Racing, and hasn't talked to many other teams.

NHRA: Melanie Troxel topped Funny Car qualifying for the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill., with a quarter-mile pass of 4.802 seconds at 327.59 mph in her ProCare Rx Dodge Charger.

Troxel won the Top Fuel event last year at Gateway International.

In Top Fuel, Dave Grubnic piloted his Kalitta Motorsports dragster to a 4.519 at 326.32 for the provisional No. 1 position.

Greg Anderson led the Pro Stock field with a 6.646 at 206.83, and Chip Ellis topped the two-wheelers with a 6.957 at 190.22.

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