The weather isn't the only thing that's hot in Phoenix this weekend.
Carl Edwards' temperature is pretty high as well.
Edwards looks to run his 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record to .500 Saturday night by scoring his fourth win in the season's first eight races in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
After coming up one position short to Kyle Busch in Friday night's Nationwide Series race, Edwards is looking to get back on track Saturday night at one of his favorite speedways.
"Saturday night races are fun,” Edwards said. “This place is just beautiful at night. It’s a real cool race to watch. It’s a unique racetrack, which makes it really neat. It’s a racetrack that you be really racy on.
“One of the greatest races I’ve had in my life was with Kevin Harvick in a Nationwide race here. We just swapped back and forth and rubbed on each other and leaned on each other for what seemed like 50 or 100 laps. This place is fun like that. You can really race hard here.”
It's no wonder Edwards is upbeat these days with the start to the season he's enjoyed. His three wins in the first seven races of the year have many people already talking championship for the Roush Fenway Racing driver, but Edwards cautions not to take things too far just yet.
“It’s awfully early in the season,” said Edwards. “Our Ford Fusions are so good right now that it’s really a joy to drive them, but if there’s one thing that’s certain this season, it’s there’s going to be change. Things are going to happen throughout the season. People are going to change things, and hopefully we can stay on top of that change and be just as fast at the end as we are now.
“I feel like I’ve got the best car out there right now and I’ve just got to drive it the best I can. The way it’s going so far, if I do my job right and communicate to the guys, we’ve got a really fast race car.”
Edwards has rattled off his wins without regular crew chief Bob Osborne, who was suspended six races when the No. 99 car failed post-race inspection at Las Vegas.
"It’s amazing the little nuances of that relationship that I didn’t really value, but now I do," Edwards said. "Having different people on the box, it takes twice as long to communicate now than it used to because we knew each other so well. I didn’t really realize what value it had until it’s gone. We were able to win without him, but we’ll be better with Bob back."
"Not because of the talent level, but just because of the relationship we have.”
Osborne will be back May 3rd in Richmond, a move that believe it or not could make Edwards even stronger as the year goes on.
“Things are going to happen throughout the season," he said. "People are going to change things, and, hopefully we can stay on top of that change and be just as fast at the end as we are now.”
