Losing title won’t put Edwards down and out for 2012

It’s been two days since the race for the championship ended and I think it settled in on all of us Carl Edwards fans.  However, I have been hearing a lot of fans make comments that the loss to Stewart in the title race would hurt Carl Edwards when it comes to competing for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series championship.  I don’t think so and there are a few reasons why I believe this.

Carl Edwards commented when he re-signed with RFR he wanted to sign with a team he knew could compete for a title (Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)

I have been hearing a few comments that Bob Osborne being the crew chief has been a major disaster for this team.  Osborne is a great crew chief and he proved it this season by keeping this team up front for most of this season and it ran consistently up front under the leadership of Osborne, he is a class act like the driver.  I had a debate with a fellow Edwards fans a few years ago that the right combo package for Edwards was having Osborne on his pit box.  The driver and crew chief have to have a mold together and I believe that these two guys have that same championship mold that Johnson and Chad Knaus have and it’s the type of chemistry that doesn’t break.

Listening to these guys over the last 6 or seven years seasons I have seen a lot of great conversations and the two have been able to win 18 races as driver and crew chief.  Now will come the part that matters.  I do know that when Edwards re-signed with Roush Fenway, his crew chief had signed before him.  It was a piece to help keep Edwards with the organization at the time.  It may have helped.  I did hear Edwards say after the race was completed that “Bob Osborne could be his crew chief as long as he wanted to be.” 

The second part is Edwards.  I have read a few people make the comments about him losing the edge because he lost, just as Hamlin did this past season.  I don’t think that you can compare two different drivers on how they will take losing.  Edwards took it like a real champion on how losing, and he has something he is setting his sights on next season, he learned a few things that will come up next season.  Edwards is a very determined and intense driver on the race track and I believe that he will be back in full force next season, because even with a few changes the 99 team will be able to perform at the same level. 

The third part is the Ford Racing FR9 engine.  That engine package is the best performer that Ford has produced in years, and with Doug Yates knowledge and everything else, they will perform on top of their game.  I know people were worried when the 9, 16 and 6 went out of the race on Sunday night but the 99 car held up because there was no experimental engine parts used on their car at Homestead.  The engine package has been great this season, as Roush Fenway Racing ended the season with two drivers in the top-five in points, seven victories, and on the Nationwide Series side they dominated.

There will be some changes coming at Roush Fenway Racing as most have already heard.  We could see that coming with the economy and the way that it has been going this year.  In my mind, I think dropping down to three cars instead of running the four will help Roush Fenway more than hurt them.  And I do believe that the 99 car will be back for some more title action next season.