Carl Edwards is willing to jump off the Stratosphere for his sponsors

Carl Edwards remembers standing at the top of the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas asking himself why he agreed to jump off the structure located 108 stories above the ground.

What Edwards was doing then was a promotional stunt for the annual March Las Vegas NASCAR race. That was five years ago, one of many unique opportunities he’s had before and since, including flying with both the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, providing the forecast on The Weather Channel and ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

Of all the things Edwards has agreed to do, the Stratosphere jump was the only one where he had a bit of reluctance. Initially, it seemed like a good idea. Then he got to the top and realized the task involved.

“As I’m standing up there, I’m looking at how it was put together, so I’m feeling pretty good,” Edwards told SB Nation. “But then you walk out onto what is basically a platform and jump, and no matter how much [safety cables] they have hooked up to you, I was like, ‘If there weren’t all these cameras around, I’d just walk back down.’ That was pretty interesting.”

Sponsorship is an essential element in NASCAR, and without the required funding teams wouldn’t have the chance to race. In return, like all drivers, Edwards is routinely asked to do various tasks from the big -- flying in fighter jets -- to the more routine such as attending company seminars, visiting distribution plants or meeting representatives when they attend a NASCAR event.

This past weekend Edwards, acting as an ambassador for Subway, helped served 5,000 lunches to members of the United States Coast Guard. The sandwich brand’s backing of Edwards is in its eighth year, making it one of the longest active driver-sponsorship pairings in NASCAR.

That relationship, both with Subway and his other partners, is something Edwards values and it’s earned him a reputation as one of the most sponsor-friendly drivers in the sport. It’s an appreciation the 36-year-old Missourian cultivated while struggling to make a name for himself on short tracks throughout the Midwest.

“When I grew up, the one thing we were missing was people who believed in us and wanted to partner with us,” Edwards said. “We didn’t have any money to go racing like we wanted, so it’s a big deal to have a partner who is willing to back us.”

“We get to drive these cars because companies find value in it. Without them, almost none of this would exist.”

But Edwards’ willingness to embrace what his sponsors ask of him comes with a caveat he will not deviate from: He only signs on with a company whose products he believes in.

A noted workout enthusiast, Edwards said he ate Subway long before he became a company spokesman, calling it his “go-to” whenever he needed a quick healthy meal. Whereas some drivers will get behind a company they don’t personally support, Edwards absolutely refuses.

“This is no b.s., I have no partners that I don’t believe in,” Edwards said. “We’ve had some really tough meetings over the last decade where somebody comes in and says, ‘Hey, we want to do this deal.’ And I’ve had to say no, because I don’t use it and won’t be able to endorse it the right away.

“I don’t get a sponsor, then sing its praises. Very early in the process we understand whether it’s someone I can honestly go out and say, ‘This is a great product.’”