Carl Edwards is one of the uncrowned heroes of NASCAR. In 2017, Edwards unexpectedly revealed his shocking intentions to retire from the sport. Since then, the NASCAR community has been awaiting his return. Last year, the fan-favorite occasionally appeared at several NASCAR races, which teased the fans about a possible full-time return to racing. However, there has been no further development.

Recently, Carl Edwards has reverted to leaving cryptic messages. Recently, the veteran was seen at the Daytona International Speedway. Glimpses of the same left the fanbase wondering if this could be another hint at a return to NASCAR. Some doubt the hint’s credibility, while others experienced a deja vu moment.

Is Carl Edwards signaling at a return?

Among the NASCAR fans, Carl Edwards is often regarded as one of the finest drivers to have never won the Cup Series. When he missed out on the championship by a whisker in 2016, everyone wanted him to have a redemption arc. However, the following year, Edwards felt racing needed to take a back seat.

After an unlucky end to championship-challenging runs twice, he took time away from racing to focus on his family. However, he has always had a soft corner for the sport and often has run-ins with various NASCAR stakeholders and venues. One of his recent cameos was at Daytona International Speedway track prep, pictures of which surfaced online. The Speedweeks event by Advent Health hosting the walkthrough collided with Carl Edwards’ schedule. However, what many fans have wondered is if it has to do with Advent Health’s partnership with Trackhouse Racing.

A return to NASCAR with a one-off appearance in a Project 91 car is one of the rumors floating around on NASCAR forums. While that has a great chance of happening, there are no official hints about it. Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 has given a platform for various drivers to race from time to time in NASCAR, like F1 legend Kimi Raikkonen and latest NASCAR addition Shane van Gisbergen.

Looking at the situation through Justin Marks’ lenses, it seems like a great way to attract fans. Considering the comments that followed Carl Edwards’ appearance at Daytona, it certainly is.

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NASCAR fans won’t fall for the same trick again

Presenting a ray of optimism, one of the fans on Reddit wrote, “I will forever fool myself into believing he’ll be back any day now. Deep down I know he probably won’t. But I’m just gonna go ahead and continue believing he will.”

The suspense left many fans irritated as well. Not everyone loved the cryptic clues from the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver. A fan commented, “I still have PTSD over his mic drop exit from the sport. My guy for 13 seasons,” expressing his despair.

“To troll us with a potential racing return yet again,“ read a comment highlighting the regular pattern of such occurrences as another followed suit, “Carl just doing Carl things.”

Another fan had a lovable movie-based analogy of his career. He commented, “Carl Edwards is like a character who left a show, and nobody knows why, only to show up a couple of seasons later.”

The NASCAR fanbase continues to love the tryst between Carl Edwards and a deserved championship run. While that seems like a distant reality, one can always hold on to hope.

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