Carl Edwards retires on his own terms

There were no inklings and there will be no prolonged goodbye tour. Carl Edwards is apparently retiring and doing so immediately.

On the surface, the news is stunning. Just like that, one of NASCAR’s top stars and bona fide championship contenders is suddenly leaving the sport at a time when everything seemed ideal.

Drivers in Edwards’ situation simply don’t walk away. Not when you’re in the prime of your career, with a team regarded as one of the best in the garage and coming off a season where a good restart with 10 laps remaining would’ve likely netted you the Cup Series title. And certainly not when you’re entering a season where you possess an excellent chance to win a first-ever championship (one of the few blemishes on an otherwise outstanding résumé).

Then again, the 37-year-old Edwards has always been a bit of an outlier among drivers.

While the majority choose to live in NASCAR’s hub of Charlotte, Edwards resides in his hometown of Columbia, Mo., deciding it was best for him, his wife, and two young children to live away from what can be a fishbowl existence. That meant a commute back and forth for weekly team meetings, which Edwards gladly did as he flew his own plane between the two locales, relishing the privacy and tranquility flying brought him.

In an era where just about everyone documents their life on social media, Edwards elected for a much different approach. Not only was he not on Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat, he went to great lengths to keep his family out of the spotlight. One-on-one interviews were granted with the condition he not be asked about his wife or kids. Nor were media permitted to visit his multi-acre farm in Columbia. And on the occasions when private details did become public, it was not uncommon for Edwards or a representative to see if the particular disclosure could be retracted.

But as private as Edwards is, he is also among the more personable drivers in the garage. Any interview with him began with him removing his sunglasses so he could look the interviewee and camera straight in the eye. The gesture became such a trademark, sometimes other drivers would good-naturedly mock it.

So it should come as no surprise that the exact impetus for Edwards’ decision remains unknown.

According to Fox Sports, which broke the news Tuesday morning, it isn’t health related and instead merely a desire to pursue interests outside NASCAR. Whether that’s working in broadcasting, other business interests, or another venture altogether should be revealed during a Wednesday press conference at JGR’s headquarters.

Another a mystery is if Edwards is retiring or sitting out 2017, with a possible return the following year. Is this a temporary choice brought about by outside factors, and with a year’s absence he’ll be back on the track running up front and winning races again — be it with JGR or a different organization?

What isn’t left to conjecture is that Edwards remains an enigma; just as he’s been throughout a stellar 13-year career.