Ahead of the 2017 Cup Series season, Carl Edwards dropped a bombshell on the world of NASCAR. Only a few months after coming painfully close to winning the title, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver announced his retirement from the sport. At the time, Edwards had given the most generic of reasons for leaving the sport, but according to an eminent insider, there is a lot more to the story.

No one expected Carl Edwards to quit NASCAR ahead of the 2017 season. If anything, fans wanted him to fight back stronger after how he lost the championship in 2016. At the time, Edwards had said that motor racing took up too much time, that he’d rather spend with his family, and that he had no regrets. Well, that may just be the tip of the iceberg.

NASCAR insider lifts the lid on a controversial topic, again

The final race of Carl Edwards’ Cup career was marred by controversy. With just 15 laps to go, the JGR driver was leading the race to claim the Cup Series title when NASCAR brought out a caution due to a puncture for Dylan Lupton. Many thought there was no need for caution at the time and that Lupton’s car could have made it into the pits without any help. On the restart, Edwards was in the lead of the race, but an overly aggressive maneuver by title rival Joey Logano saw the JGR man crash out of the race. Ultimately, it was Jimmie Johnson who came home to claim his seventh Cup Series championship.

In a recent episode of ‘Kenny Conversation’ with Kenny Wallace and Elliott Sadler, the former brought up the story of Carl Edwards’ retirement. Upon revealing the release of a controversial video previously on the same subject, Wallace suggested that Edwards took it hard with how NASCAR managed the closing stages of the 2016 season finale, leading to a then 38-year-old retiring with dashed championship hopes and a broken heart. Wallace said,

“I did a Kenny Wallace Show on my opinion on why Carl Edwards quit the sport. Got almost 700,000 views and NASCAR and everybody looked at me. Come to find out that I was 100% accurate. Here’s a guy that tied for a Cup championship with Tony Stewart, come back the next year, had it won, and I’m not gonna go there again. NASCAR never said anything to me, but they gave me the eye and the message was delivered because I was accurate. I was 100% accurate on why Carl Edwards left.” 

It turned out that his guest, Elliott Sadler, also believed in Kenny Wallace’s theory. After all, Sadler himself has experience of being wrecked out of a championship by an outside source.

Frustrated former NASCAR driver sympathizes with Carl Edwards

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In the 2017 Xfinity Series season, Elliott Sadler was the championship race leader with only a few laps to go. He was going to get the job done for JR Motorsports. However, as he was raced and wrecked by a non-championship race driver, Ryan Preece, all of his dreams came crashing down.

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So Sadler sided with Carl Edwards. He stated that the former Cup driver had done everything he could have to win the race. But when there is interference from an outside source (in this case, NASCAR), it is no wonder that the JGR star quit out of sheer disappointment.

“That last caution cost him a championship. As a driver, he did everything he could do to put himself in that situation and it’s taken from him from an outside source. How can you not be frustrated for him? How could you not walk away if you’re Carl Edwards?” Sadler asked.

What is your take on the matter? Was Carl Edwards wrongfully cheated out of a championship win by NASCAR? 

Watch: 12 Years Ago Today Tony Stewart Delivered His Iconic Speech After Beating Carl Edwards for the Championship