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BUSCH: Charlotte: This Week in Ford Racing

This Week in Ford Racing May 24, 2005 NASCAR Busch Series Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 Ford, is preparing for a unique triple this Memorial Day weekend. Edwards is scheduled to compete in the DIRT modified, Busch and NEXTEL Cup ...

This Week in Ford Racing
May 24, 2005

NASCAR Busch Series

Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 60 Ford, is preparing for a unique triple this Memorial Day weekend. Edwards is scheduled to compete in the DIRT modified, Busch and NEXTEL Cup races on the grounds of Lowe's Motor Speedway beginning with the Eckerd 75 big-block modified race on Wednesday night. Edwards, who has two Busch Series wins so far this year, takes a 180-point lead into Saturday night's CarQuest 300.

CARL EDWARDS-60-Charter Communications Ford Taurus

YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO PULL TRIPLE-DUTY THIS WEEKEND AT CHARLOTTE. "I'm pretty excited about it. Brett Hearn called me up and told me that if the track was in good shape that we'd run his dirt car tomorrow night. I'm kind of nervous about that one. The last time I ran there I didn't do very well for him, so I'm glad he's giving me another chance at it. I think that should be a blast. I ran Brett's car there last year, it was a real last-minute deal and we didn't make the show, so my mission is to get in the race and just be part of the show. I would love to say that I raced against those guys. It would be awesome."

WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN RUNNING ON THE DIRT TRACK AT CHARLOTTE? "Running this dirt car is just something I've always wanted to do as a kid. Big-block modifieds to me are some of the neatest race cars in the world. They're really neat cars to look at and they have huge engines. They've always kind of captivated me, so to get to drive one is something I've always wanted to do. I'd go to a trade show or read a magazine and see pictures of these cars growing up, and I never even went to one of the races until last year, so to get to drive one is something that I've always wanted to do."

YOU ARE CURRENTLY LEADING THE POINT STANDINGS IN THE BUSCH SERIES. DISCUSS YOUR SEASON TO DATE. "I'm real excited about how our season is going so far. We're a third of the way through the season, but to me if feels that we're further along than that. But realistically, we're a third of the way through the season, we've accumulated a very small points lead and it's really nothing to rest on. We're out here testing right now at Nashville and we're going 100 percent just like we were at the beginning of the year, and our mission is just to have good finishes; just finish in the top 10 every week and not make mistakes. I think running the All-Star race was a real help for me, just to get track time at Charlotte. We tested the Charter car there and learned a lot doing that. I feel pretty good about the Busch race there this weekend and I think we're going to do really well."

IS THERE ADDED PRESSURE EACH WEEK WHEN YOU GET IN THE BUSCH CAR KNOWING YOU HAVE TO DEFEND YOU FIRST-PLACE POINT STANDING? "No, not for me. I think it takes pressure away for me because at times during the race where I would usually take a chance to try to gain a spot and maybe drive a little bit harder than I should, it allows me to breathe a little easier and think to myself that we have a great points lead and there's no need to rush until the end of the race. I think it helps to calm me down."

HAS RUNNING BOTH THE BUSCH AND NEXTEL SERIES RACES HELPED PUT YOU IN THE POSITION AT THE TOP OF THE STANDINGS? "Oh yeah, it's helped a lot. Running the Cup car is 400 or 500 miles of racing that I wouldn't have gotten and it goes the other way, too. The Busch race is 300 miles of racing every weekend that I wouldn't have gotten. At this point in my career, as new as I am to this type of racing - this is the first full season that I've ever run stock cars other than the truck series - and it's awesome to be able to run both series."

-ford racing-

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