NASCAR: Could Carl Edwards have replaced Kyle Larson?

Could Carl Edwards have been the driver selected by Chip Ganassi Racing to replace Kyle Larson for the rest of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season?

After using the N-word in a virtual race on iRacing that was being live streamed on multiple Twitch channels, Kyle Larson was ultimately fired from his job as the full-time driver of the #42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

NASCAR is currently at a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic with Sunday, May 17 having just been confirmed as continuation date for the 2020 season, which saw just four races contested before it was brought to a screeching halt.

As a result, Chip Ganassi Racing had more time than they otherwise would have to select his replacement.

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Just over two weeks had passed since the Larson incident, and just under two weeks had passed since the 27-year-old Elk Grove, California native was officially fired, when the team announced that 2003 champion Matt Kenseth is set to replace him.

This news came as a shock to many fans. Other than the fact that several other drivers were rumored as potential replacement candidates for Larson, Kenseth becomes by far the oldest full-time driver in the field, having just turned 48 years old in March. Hendrick Motorsports’ Jimmie Johnson and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick are both 44.

This marks the second time that the Cambridge, Wisconsin native has un-retired. He stepped away from full-time competition after the 2017 season, only to return as a part-time driver in 2018.

After sitting out the entire 2019 season, the first season he has missed completely since before he made his debut in 1998, now he is back again.

But could another driver have come out of retirement to replace Larson as well?

Carl Edwards unexpectedly retired the month before the 2017 season began after coming up just shy of winning what would have been his first championship in 2016.

Ever since he has stepped away, there have been rumors that he will return to the sport. Even nearly three and a half years later, those rumors still exist, and they are perhaps stronger than ever.

One source even stated that he would compete in NASCAR in 2020 but did not name a team, although that statement clearly turned out to be unfounded.

However, it very well could have happened as a result of the Larson incident.

According to AP News, Edwards was contacted about the vacancy at Chip Ganassi Racing. But he refused to come out of retirement, and the team ultimately went with Kenseth.

It seems pretty clear that Carl Edwards has no plans to un-retire and return to the NASCAR Cup Series, despite the ongoing rumors that he will be making a return at some point in the near future. But don’t let that fool you into thinking these rumors are going away anytime soon, even after the 40-year-old Columbia, Missouri native turned down a top-tier ride.

And who knows? Maybe he will change his mind at some point. But now isn’t that time.