RICHMOND, Va. — One week after Tony Stewart set the NASCAR world on its ear by talking about his contract process, Carl Edwards shut the door to potential free agency by re-signing with Roush Fenway Racing.
That’s two dominoes down in the Great Contract War of 2008, as Martin Truex, Jr. had his option picked up at DEI. That leaves Stewart and Greg Biffle as the big boys left to sign on the dotted line…or not.
“I signed my contract yesterday, so I’m staying with Roush,” Edwards said Friday. “I looked at everything and I talked to everybody and, for me, the number one thing is looking into the future and saying, ‘Where can I win the most races and have the most success?’ I was honored at the people who I got to speak with and I just feel like, for me personally, this is where I want to be for the near future and we got it done.”
Edwards negotiated the deal himself, with RFR President Geoff Smith on the management side.
“It really wasn’t that painful,” Edwards said. “Geoff Smith and I get along really well and we just pretty much sat down and he’s really easy for me to deal with.  It took us about a week-and-a-half of going back and forth with just little things, and I feel like the luckiest guy in the world for the contract I got.” 
Team owner Jack Roush said that another team “challenged” his team for Edwards’s services.
“We’ve certainly been challenged there by another team and Carl heard that challenge and considered very carefully what was there for him,” he said.
The contract is a multi-year deal, Edwards said, though he refused to specify. At issue still is the sponsorship for the No. 99 past this season, as Office Depot is rumored to be buying a set number of races instead of the full season. That leaves the door open for Aflac and possibly UPS should it decide to leave Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of the year.