BRISTOL, Tenn. — On the floor, media requests for NASCAR superstars Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson could seem to be the game’s equal of climbing Mount Everest, each supremely sought-after voices on the high of motorsports excellence.
As an alternative, because of Jon Edwards, these requests have been among the many most possible within the NASCAR business.
Edwards served as Gordon’s longtime public relations consultant since 1994, one yr into Gordon’s once-blossoming, now-legendary profession. Nevertheless it wasn’t till 2021 that he formally started his work for Hendrick Motorsports, becoming a member of to function Larson’s consultant earlier than a further 2022 promotion because the group’s director of communications.
Edwards died Thursday at age 52. Although the general public by no means knew who he was, it felt his impression in unimaginable methods. Edwards was answerable for making heroes like Gordon and Larson accessible to the media to higher inform their tales. What may have been probably the most intimidating ask of a younger reporter’s profession was made to really feel such as you have been as an alternative asking for a beverage from the fridge.
His loss reverberated by means of the storage at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, a reminder of how impactful Edwards’ 31 years in and round NASCAR have been exterior Hendrick’s groups — first with Gordon’s No. 24 and later with Larson’s No. 5.
“He meant loads to me personally,” Larson stated Friday, “Simply attending to be with him since 2021 and go on a pair holidays and stuff with him, attending to know him, and simply be round him loads. He’s in all probability the man that I’m round probably the most on the 5 staff. I’m gonna miss having him round. He’s had a protracted profession with Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports.
“Undoubtedly a tragic week for the business. We’re gonna mourn his loss and attempt to win some races for him this weekend. He would need us to not be unhappy. He was a contented particular person, so we’re gonna maintain our heads excessive and symbolize him nicely this weekend.”
That Larson did on Saturday, the place he gave Edwards one other experience to Victory Lane Saturday after successful the NASCAR Xfinity Collection race. A decal rode on the C-post of Larson’s automobile in addition to these of JR Motorsports Saturday, that includes his picture, identify and one phrase: “One among a sort.” There to each rejoice and assist coordinate hat dances in Victory Lane have been Ashly Ennis and Autumn Darracq.
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Ennis is in her eighth season at Hendrick Motorsports, serving now as its communications supervisor and public relations consultant for William Byron and the No. 24 staff. She labored hand-in-hand with Edwards, who mentored her and lots of different communications professionals by means of the Hendrick campus.
“That is what Jon would have wished,” Ennis informed NASCAR.com. “Jon was somebody who by no means wished the highlight or the eye, so we’ve been joking that, actually, he in all probability wouldn’t have favored all the consideration he’s been getting. This (win) is what he would have wished. He would have wished us to come back out right here and simply do our job and do it to the very best of our capability as a result of that’s what he taught us to do.”
Darracq was amongst these whom Edwards mentored as she joined the NASCAR powerhouse that’s Hendrick Motorsports. After spending the 2022 season with Stay Quick Motorsports, Darracq had a possibility to interview for a job at Hendrick. What she didn’t know was that with one yr of expertise within the function, she was interviewing to take Edwards’ place on the highway as Edwards stepped again for the 2023 marketing campaign.
“As soon as I discovered it was for the 5 and to fills Jon’s sneakers, I used to be like, there’s no shot. Like there’s no approach,” stated Darracq, now a advertising account govt for the staff. “However lengthy story brief, he believed in me. And I feel that that was a standard theme in the way in which that Jon handled folks. It didn’t actually matter the place you got here from. He noticed work ethic and he was an encourager. He was somebody who took a lot pleasure in his work that it was contagious. It made you need to resemble the identical. He was a frontrunner and a job mannequin. Jon was actually one in all a sort.”
Amy Walsh-Inventory now serves because the Vice President of Communications for Legacy Motor Membership, however 25 years in the past, she was breaking into the game as a PR skilled within the Crafstman Truck Collection. She met Edwards in 2000 and instantly took observe of how Edwards performed himself not simply round Gordon however the quite a few media retailers trying to find a chunk of Gordon’s time.
“As a younger PR particular person in my 20s coming in, I simply wished to be like Jon,” Walsh-Inventory stated Saturday. “He was only a consummate skilled. He was at all times tremendous sort. He was at all times there. I don’t suppose in 25 years that I made a single profession transfer with out speaking to him first.”
Edwards, a graduate of the College of North Carolina, grew to become the gold commonplace in his occupation. Whether or not the purpose was to advertise his driver’s model on “Saturday Evening Stay” or coordinate an interview with an up-and-coming blogger, Edwards dealt with every request with the identical kindness, consideration and respect any media consultant may ask for. And even when Edwards’ needed to ship a no, there have been by no means any arduous emotions left behind.
“Jon may principally let you know no and have you ever purchase him a beer later as a result of he was so pleased,” stated Joe Crowley, who handles public relations for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing staff. “He had like a magic contact of like simply working (by means of issues). Like Amy stated, it was at all times about discovering an answer. Like, ‘we will’t do that, however I can get you the crew chief; I can get you this. There’s at all times an answer.”
Dustin Lengthy, a longtime motorsports reporter for NBC Sports activities, labored carefully with Edwards to coordinate numerous tales relationship again to 1999. In a world that advanced from written print to social movies and the totally different types of media by means of 30 years of know-how, Edwards advanced with it and helped join drivers to the media, who then helped join again with the followers.
“For those who had a query, you may go to him and get a solution,” Lengthy informed NASCAR.com. “For those who had a request, he would do his greatest to make it occur. And plenty of occasions, he would make it occur, even when perhaps Jeff didn’t have a complete lot of time — however he may squeeze you in. And from a reporter’s perspective, that’s vital, as a result of on the finish of the day, we’re the conduit to the fan. And typically, it is very important hear that driver’s voice. And typically you get a couple of minutes, and typically it’s a snippet of time. However all of that may matter to the followers, explaining in higher element what occurred, why it occurred, the way it occurred.
“And with out the assistance of Jon, typically you wouldn’t be capable to inform that story. So Jon helped myself and others inform a extra full story and higher inform the followers.”
It was no surprise he received a number of rewards for his efforts, amongst them the NASCAR Public Relations Consultant of the 12 months Award, the Nationwide Motorsports Press Affiliation Ken Patterson Serving to Others Award and the Jim Chapman Award for career-long excellence in motorsports public relations.
The identical decal that ran on Larson’s successful automobile Saturday will likely be featured throughout Hendrick Motorsports’ four-car steady Sunday (3 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Alex Bowman will begin on pole within the staff’s No. 48 Chevrolet with Larson third, Chase Elliott twentieth and William Byron twenty sixth.
