Edwards, Roush Comments on Meeting With NASCAR re: Keselowski

(Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski met with NASCAR this morning at Bristol regarding their incident two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here are Carl's comments on the meeting as well as the comments of Carl's team owner, Jack Roush:

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion – HOW DID THINGS GO IN THE MEETING?

“Everything went really well. I think the biggest thing coming out of that meeting is that now, I think, Brad and I understand one another a little better. I think we’re gonna be able to just go forward and go racing, and that’s what this is all about. It was really cool to be able to talk with Jack and Roger and Brad all at once. We laughed. We cried. In the end, I think it’s gonna be good.”

WHAT HAS THIS WEEK BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

“This last week was really good, actually, for me. I got to spend a lot of time at home, but I guess this is just part of life and part of the way things go, especially with the way the media works. Sometimes people don’t understand everything that’s going on. It’s interesting, I’ll say that.”

WHAT DON’T PEOPLE UNDERSTAND?

“Well, for instance, with what happened at Atlanta. It’s very hard for people to understand that the result is far different from the intent. Things can be presented in a lot of ways, but I guess that’s just part of it. What’s most interesting to me is that sometimes it’s about selling ad time or newspapers and it’s not about explaining the story.”

YOU HAVE SORT OF BEEN PORTRAYED AS AN ANGRY GUY WHO GETS UPSET. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

“I addressed that a little bit yesterday. I think some people would like that to be the case, but let me put it this way – it’s real easy to stand back and throw stones at someone and make little chirps and say things that make you feel better about yourself, but, in the end, what I said yesterday holds true. The people who know me know that I’m a very fair person. I guess if my biggest fault is standing up for myself, I’ll take it. They can fault me all day for that.”

JACK ROUSH, Owner – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion – WHAT WAS TALKED ABOUT INSIDE?

“The ultimate responsibility that we all have – that NASCAR has, the owners have and the drivers have – to keep everybody safe in this business. It’s a sport that needs to be contentious, but it needs to be safe too and we’ve got to be careful to respect that line.”

DO YOU FEEL THIS IS BEHIND BOTH DRIVERS?

“Carl and Brad both said things that would indicate that they’re willing to put it behind them and let bygones be bygones, to give one another racing room, and that’s what’s needed. They need to give one another a little extra room for awhile.”

DO YOU AND ROGER SEE EYE TO EYE ON THIS?

“Oh, yeah. Roger and I are on the same page.”

WHAT DID YOU SAY TO CARL REGARDING THIS SITUATION?

“I told him I did not condone what he did, but I did understand it.”

DO YOU THINK BRAD AND CARL SEE EYE TO EYE?

“No, but I think that they will give one another enough respect that we won’t see another occurrence like that. I think Carl is not likely to have incidental contact with Brad and cause a wreck, and I think Brad is not like to have incidental contact with Carl and cause a wreck in the foreseeable future.”

WHAT ABOUT CARL AND KEVIN HARVICK?

“I don’t know about that. I didn’t read the things that they said about one another and I’ve had no contact with either one.”