Former driver Carl Edwards accepts his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame at Charlotte Convention Center Crown Ballroom. Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Carl Edwards says Kurt Busch 'paved the way' for him in NASCAR

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 23, 2026 7:35 PM ET

Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch were only teammates in NASCAR for a short time at Roush Racing, but the latter had a big effect on the former.

Edwards, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2025, is in Charlotte to celebrate Busch's Hall of Fame induction on Friday evening, along with that of Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick.

But it's Busch who had the biggest impact on Edwards and his career.

"He is one of the most hard-nosed, toughest competitors there is," Edwards told reporters regarding Busch. "He paved the way for me at Roush in a number of ways. I benefited from his time there a lot."

Carl Edwards remembers the teammate and friend that @KurtBusch was over his #NASCAR career pic.twitter.com/tPItXPZYbL
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) January 23, 2026

By the time Edwards began his first full-time season in the Cup Series in 2005, Busch was the defending Cup Series champion and had four years of experience under his belt. However, it was Edwards who ended up retiring from Cup Series competition first.

How Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch's relationship changed over the years

"We rubbed each other the wrong way for a number of years," Edwards said. "But towards the end of my career, we actually started to get along really well and I considered him one of my best friends in the garage."

Busch will join Edwards in NASCAR's Hall of Fame forever.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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