Hendrick Motorsports has met the second by overwhelming adversity and withering tragedy for 4 many years, and Jon Edwards was an unheralded rock of help throughout many devastating instances.
The staff‘s director of communications, whose loss of life was introduced final Thursday, joined Hendrick in 1994 simply earlier than Jeff Gordon started his run of 4 championships in seven seasons. Edwards was the purpose individual on the No. 24 Chevrolet, however he additionally was massively instrumental in serving to information Hendrick by the depths of the 2004 aircraft crash that killed 10 folks.
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He did it with unwavering professionalism, dignified class and with a free-spirited, pleasant however enigmatic type that made Edwards one of the well-liked behind-the-scenes gamers in NASCAR.
“He was the most effective,” Gordon stated.
And he labored for the most effective.
Hendrick Motorsports is essentially the most profitable staff in NASCAR historical past. Its large triumphs are inextricably intertwined with deep tribulations. They equally outline the narrative arc that traces a document 14 championships and 315 Cup victories.
So when Kyle Larson, who received the 2021 title with Edwards as his PR rep, at Bristol Motor Speedway, it might need been seen with an anticipated factor of routine. That it was identical to all the opposite instances that the staff indefatigably has risen to the event.
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Besides it didn‘t really feel that manner for the person who knew Edwards like a brother.
“I can’t communicate for everyone on the staff, however for me strolling in at the moment, it was totally different,” Gordon stated. “Yeah, it was robust. I feel that we’ve gone by quite a bit as a company over 40 years. When you’ve gotten expertise with these issues, you understand, ‘What would that individual need?‘ and attempt to fulfill that.
“Jon would need us to be right here racing and would need us to … I don’t even suppose he would need us to honor him. He would need us to not say his identify in any respect. He needs to go underneath the radar and be this sort of unsung hero, I suppose. There’s no strategy to do it some other manner for an important like him. Generally it’s therapeutic, nevertheless it’s additionally probably not an possibility, both. You simply attempt to be taught from it and develop from it and bond collectively as a company and a staff collectively, and I feel that’s what Jon goes to do on this case for us.”
Kyle Larson poses in Victory Lane at Bristol
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Edwards would have appreciated that his remaining act was about bringing folks collectively as a result of it‘s what he did on the each day each personally and professionally.
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A St. Petersburg Occasions reporter who coated a plethora {of professional} and school groups as soon as stated Gordon was “essentially the most accessible famous person in sports activities,” and that was a serious credit score to Edwards, who didn‘t discriminate whereas granting numerous interview requests to small-town newspapers and nationwide media shops.
He performed almost as massive of a job as Gordon did within the four-time champion changing into a darling of Madison Avenue within the late Nineties.
“What I beloved about working with Jon is that he would name me out or put an emphasis on issues that have been priorities,” Gordon stated. “Generally you get caught up in going week to week that you simply not at all times are wanting to place a few of the alternatives that come your manner first. Jon was at all times nice of simply presenting it in a manner of, ‘Hey, I feel it is a nice alternative, and if we don’t do it at the moment, possibly you are able to do it tomorrow or one other time, however it’s essential do it.’ When he stated that, then you definitely’re, like, ‘Completely.‘ If he believed in it, then I believed in it.”
Edwards additionally was a convincing ringleader away from the observe. The longtime resident of Charlotte as soon as was referred to as “The Mayor of Taco Tuesday Trivia” for a big group of 20- and 30-something NASCAR trade and media varieties who met weekly at an Uptown watering gap. Edwards at all times arrived first to carry a big desk for a number of hours whereas imbibing copious quantities of Guinness and $1 hen and beef tacos.
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His zest for having enjoyable was contagious because the commissioner of fantasy soccer leagues — each with the NFL and the English Premier League (the long-suffering Arsenal fan beloved to commerce barbs about his beloved Gunners, who ranked alongside the North Carolina Tar Heels as his favorites).
He beloved betting on just about all sports activities, as soon as randomly turning an ESPN.com promotion referred to as “Streak for The Money” right into a full-fledged betting operation that included a number of Cup drivers. He normally carried an enormous wad of money to peel off massive payments to weekly winners.
“He beloved to devour and devour life,” Gordon stated with fun. “I’ve actually loved this week speaking to some people that I haven’t talked to in a few years. Jon simply had mates from all totally different walks of life and beloved all types of motorsports. Simply listening to a few of these tales and issues I didn’t know or hadn’t heard.”
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There was a benevolent hedonism to Edwards‘ incessant worldly travels, which took him to Spa for F1 and London for EPL video games (or typically Aruba only for enjoyable). Although specific about planning his personal journeys, he usually invited many to go along with him — and there could be no judgment in the event that they couldn‘t go or in the event that they selected to deviate from a meticulous itinerary designed by a grasp of logistics.
As Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson : “He handled everybody like they have been a very powerful a part of his day. It didn‘t matter what the difficulty was or who you have been, you have been handled like gold.”
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However Edwards might be fastidious about shepherding Gordon‘s schedule. If a reporter tried to surpass the allotted time, it normally was a agency no.
View of Jon Edwards decal on automobile.
All could be forgotten a number of hours later and some IPAs deep at Edwards‘ favourite brewery in no matter city the NASCAR circus was visiting that week. (If compelled to choose, Edwards could be a fan of Dogfish Head Brewing in Delaware, although he additionally loved all kinds of Belgian and German beers — typically the extra unique the higher).
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In a sport stuffed with cantankerous personalities, he counted just about everybody in NASCAR as a buddy, however he additionally was intensely non-public. NASCAR‘s Worldwide Man of Thriller additionally had a mischievous aspect.
“He would at all times come as much as me earlier than each race, ‘Hey, Cliff, after we dominate later, we’re going to do that, this and this after the race,‘ ” crew chief Cliff Daniels stated. “I’m an enormous, ‘Don’t jinx it,‘ man. I’m at all times like, ‘Jon, no, you may’t say, ‘Once we win.’ However each Sunday, ‘Yeah, after we kick their ass at the moment, Cliff, we’re going to do that later.‘ I loved that interplay earlier than each race as a result of he knew that it was enjoyable to say but in addition that it might sort of twist me just a little.”
So thus it was becoming that Larson led 411 of 500 laps at Bristol, and Edwards‘ devilish confidence could be proved proper once more.
As Larson eloquently stated Friday, Edwards wouldn‘t need anybody to be unhappy about his passing. He was at all times a contented individual — however that additionally doesn‘t make this a contented ending for Hendrick Motorsports.
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As a result of amid all of the checkered flags, there‘s by no means any ending for this staff that may‘t be stored down.
Hendrick will carry on conquering the despair. However as Edwards‘ loss confirmed, it by no means will get any simpler.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 whereas working on the San Bernardino Solar, Richmond Occasions-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the previous 10 years at NBC Sports activities Digital. He’s a contributor to the “Hauler Discuss” present on the NASCAR Podcast Community. He additionally has coated varied different motorsports, together with the IndyCar and IMSA sequence.
