Will Carl Edwards Add Momentum For Joe Gibbs Racing?

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Carl Edwards was added as the fourth member of Joe Gibbs Racing just at the end of last
season. He enters this year with two wins which is what JGR had combined.

Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin each won one while Matt Kenseth went winless. This is what Joe Gibbs needed to do for a long time. Although his limit is four teams, adding Carl Edwards will still help strengthen the entire organization. As much as all three had struggled, it was most definitely time for a change. Getting a new number and now having Darian Grubb as his crew chief could be a good combination. Grubb has already won a Sprint Cup title with former boss Tony Stewart in 2011.

Edwards brings 23 career wins to Joe Gibbs Racing and is also starting his 12th year in Sprint Cup after driving for Jack Roush. Edwards came close twice before finally winning the Sprint Cup Championship. He lost to Jimmie Johnson in 2008 and to Tony Stewart in 2011 via tiebreaker.

Grubb has 21 career wins as a crew chief and has been with Joe Gibbs Racing since 2012. He was previously Denny Hamlin’s when they won 7 races. JGR made the crew chief switch giving Hamlin Dave Rogers, who was Kyle Busch’s last year.

Will bringing Carl Edwards on board add momentum to Joe Gibbs Racing? It has to. There’s usually nothing stronger than having a four-team crew under your watch just as long as they work together.

With the years of experience he brings, they are sure to feed off what he knows from Roush-Fenway. If you look at it, it almost seems like a dream team. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined Hendrick in 2008, being paired with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson seemed unreal. Seeing Carl Edwards with a different number and chief is as unreal as it gets.

As Joe Gibbs has only one Sprint Cup title from Bobby Labonte, he would love to see Edwards finally win his first with JGR. As Kevin Harvick won his first with an new team last year, the same trend could happen again. Sometimes change is good, and so far it is good for Carl Edwards.