KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas Speedway announced today that NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards will serve as the honorary pace car driver ahead of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 presented by ESPN BET.
“Carl is one of the most personable superstars in our sport’s modern history and is certainly a fan-favorite here at Kansas Speedway,” said Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren. “We’re thrilled he can join us for what should be an electrifying race to open the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs’ round of 12 and serve as the honorary pace car driver.”
The former mainstay from Columbia, Mo., is one of the most renowned racers of his era. Edwards had an astounding NASCAR National Series career that featured 72 victories – each usually capped by his signature celebratory backflip. His quick Truck Series success earned him full-time rides in both the Cup and Xfinity Series in 2005, where he would go on to win his first races in each series during an early season weekend sweep at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Edwards finished in the top two in the Xfinity Series standings for five straight years, including his 2007 championship, and amassed 38 wins over seven full-time seasons.
Over 13 years in the Cup Series with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, respectively, he won 28 races, including the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500, both in 2015. He was the championship runner-up twice, including the closest points finish in NASCAR history, losing by a tiebreaker in 2011.
Edwards was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023 and was announced as a NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee earlier this year.