Carl Edwards was one of the most exemplary drivers of his time. Although he never won a Cup Series championship, he was a force that every title winner from Jimmie Johnson to Jeff Gordon was wary of. As the current field prepares for its first Round of 12, here’s a brief rewind to one of the most memorable moments that Edwards created in Kansas while racing Johnson back in 2008.
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When the 2008 fall race in Kansas arrived, Edwards and Johnson were in a tight battle for the championship and the winner of that race would lead the other in points with only seven more races left on the calendar. With the stakes so high, the Roush Fenway Racing driver pulled a move that bordered on desperation and craziness in an attempt to pass Johnson.
Akin to what drivers do in video games, he rode the wall and tried getting past the defending champion. But Johnson held on and nullified the move. Edwards told the press, “I planned on hitting the wall. But I didn’t plan on the wall slowing me down that much. Played a lot of video games where you can just run down the wall and hold it wide open. That’s what I did but it didn’t quite work out the same.”
“I played a lot of video games where you can just run it in the wall and hold it wide open.”
Carl Edwards’ attempt to pass Jimmie Johnson at Kansas in 2008 didn’t go as planned. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/AxPewlGTYl
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 26, 2024
He continued to commend Johnson for being a “smart” racer. He finished his race in second place and ultimately lost the title as well. This was despite him winning three of the last four races in the season. 2008 was a particularly strong year for Edwards. With nine victories over the year, he could’ve easily been crowned champion if it weren’t for the dominance of Johnson.
The seven-time champion was a big fan of Edwards attempting to ride the wall. He wrote on X, reacting to a video of the move posted by NBC, “He sent it. I was in complete shock when he flew by on the inside, knew he was going to hit the wall, and still almost pulled it off. That moment definitely inspired some wild moves like Chastain at Martinsville.”
Nearly 15 years later, Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain attempted a similar move in Martinsville, as Johnson mentioned. As nearly every NASCAR fan now knows, he completed the attempt successfully and secured a spot in the 2022 Championship 4 at the expense of Denny Hamlin. The move he made by riding the wall is commonly known as “Hail Melon” and has been banned since.
