It's officially official: Carl Edwards will join Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015
What's long been rumored is now official. Carl Edwards will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015.
The organization is making the move to a fourth car in 2015 and Edwards will drive the No. 19 Toyota alongside Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth.
Edwards will be sponsored by Arris for 17 races in 2015. Not familiar with Arris? It's a telecommunications equipment manufacturing company. No sponsor for the other races was announced on Tuesday but Joe Gibbs said that most of the remaining races were accounted for.
"It will be nice to be able to talk about this now with all the work that's gone into it," Edwards said.
"Obviously a huge day for me and my career and I'm looking forward to next year. We're competitors for the rest of this season and I'm going to try to make it as tough on [Joe Gibbs Racing] as I can for the rest of the year. But starting next year it will be really exciting to race for championships with [Joe Gibbs Racing.]"
Speculation about Edwards' future dominated NASCAR's silly-season headlines and after Roush Fenway Racing announced Edwards would leave the team at Indianapolis, his arrival at JGR seemed like a foregone conclusion. When Edwards re-signed with Roush before the 2011 season, Gibbs was his top suitor then as well.
"For me, obviously right now my focus is still to go win the championship in the 99 Ford for Jack Roush and my career as a driver, for 10 years I've worked as hard as I can, everyone has worked as hard as they can to go win championships," Edwards said. "And that is my goal. I felt like at this time in my life and career a change might be something that would let me reach that goal. I was very fortunate and humbled by the number of teams and people, the folks that I talked to. Had some amazing conversations and honestly had to pinch myself ... but looking across the landscape of the sport I think everyone up here has spoken to Joe and J.D. [Gibbs] and the organization Joe Gibbs Racing and for all the good things everyone has said I'm very excited to work with them."
He joins former Roush teammate Kenseth at JGR. Kenseth moved to JGR before 2013, replacing Joey Logano in the No. 20.
Arris' sponsorship also extends to the Nationwide Series. The company will sponsor Daniel Suarez for a full season in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015. Suarez, a member of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity, competes full time in the NASCAR Mexico Series currently and will also run a partial season in the Truck Series in 2015.
Roush's Sprint Cup Series driver lineup in 2015 will include Trevor Bayne, Greg Biffle and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
