Catchfence

2009 NSCS Carl Edwards - (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Team: No. 99 Aflac Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-565 – most recently raced Darlington Raceway (May 2009).
Started ninth and finished 32nd after a late-race accident.
Also raced Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 2009).
Started 29th and led 28 laps before finishing third.

QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Chicagoland Speedway:

“We are coming off of solid race at Daytona where my guys did a great job. I think we have the potential to do really well this weekend in the Aflac Ford Fusion. Last year we were running away with the race and we had a little trouble. The splitter broke and we ended up falling back. We run really well at Chicago and I feel like there’s a good chance for us to get our first win of the season there. If not a win, our number one goal is to consistently be in the top five like we’ve been running lately and gain some more points.”

Crew Chief Bob Osborne on racing at Chicagoland Speedway:

“I’m looking forward to getting back to the 1.5-mile tracks like Chicago. We had a strong Ford there last year and were also able to gain
some information there this year from the tire test. Carl runs really well at those types of tracks so we are certainly hoping to have a
strong finish for the Aflac team. Tracks like Chicago, Fontana and Kansas seem like cookie cutter type tracks but actually they all have their own unique characteristics, and running at Chicago always makes for some great racing. We’re racing at night again this week and that will just add to the excitement.”

FAST FACTS

●CARL EDWARDS enters Chicago fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, 402 markers behind point leader Kyle Busch. In 18 starts, Edwards has accumulated five top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

●FOR THE RECORD…Edwards will make his fifth Cup start at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts, Edwards has one top-five and one top-10 finish. His average start is 17.8 and his average finish is 23.5.

●IN THE LOOP…According to NASCAR’s Loop Data, acquired over the past four races at Chicagoland, Edwards has turned 54 of the fastest laps in Cup competition. He has spent 497 of 1071 possible laps in the top 15.

●CHICAGOLAND TOO TOUGH TO TAME??? Out of the six 1.5-mile tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit, Edwards’ average finish at Chicagoland ranks way below the rest, with an average finish there of 23.5. Compared to average finishes at Atlanta (10.7), Charlotte (10), Kansas (14), Las Vegas (12.8) and Texas (13.4), Chicago ranks the lowest. In fact, Chicagoland is Edwards’ second worst finishing track on average – Talladega is the worst.

●ON THE TRACK…The No. 99 Aflac team will be bringing chassis RK-565 to Chicago. Edwards has raced this car twice this season – at Atlanta in March where he finished third and at Darlington in May where he finished 32nd after an accident.

●NEW PAINT…Edwards will carry a silver Aflac paint scheme on Saturday night. The scheme debuted at the All-Star race in May and its popularity has brought it back for the season’s remaining night races.

●CHICAGO 2008… Edwards had the dominant car for much of the race at Chicagoland Speedway, but a broken splitter took the No. 99 team out of contention in the closing stages of the race. Edwards finished 32nd.

●HEAR CARL…Log on to www.AflacRacing.com to hear Carl give his take on the upcoming race.

THE TEAM

No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion Team
Bob Osborne, Crew Chief
Pierre Kuettel, Car Chief
Kevin Brucher, Engineer
Dave Stillman, Shocks
Adam Jordan, Tire Specialist
Doug Impsen, Engine Tuner
Jeremy Dyer, Front Tire Carrier
Greg Donlin, Front Tire Changer
Tracy Duncan, Jack Man
Jody Fortson, Rear Tire Carrier
Brandon Hopkins, Rear Tire Changer
Joe Karasinski, Gas Man
Norm Lowe, Catch Can

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release