Driver

The Columbia, MO native became known for his signature backflips after every victory. He retired abruptly in 2017, after just 13 NASCAR Cup Series seasons, with 28 wins, two more than Dale Earnhardt Jr. and inductee Fred Lorenzen. Included in that tally are the 2015 Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. A perennial frontrunner, Edwards sat on pole 22 times and finished just over half of his 445 races in the Top 10. His most bittersweet moment was losing the 2011 Cup Series title in a tiebreaker to 2019 inductee Tony Stewart. Before reaching Cup level, he was 2003 Gander Outdoors Truck Series Rookie of the Year and 2005 NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year. He won the Xfinity title in 2007, the same year he was named the series’ Most Popular Driver. Edwards impressed in other forms of racing as well, defeating seven-time F1 champ Michael Schumacher in a 2008 Race of Champions heat and winning the prestigious 2007 Prelude to the Dream on the Eldora Speedway dirt over more than 20 Cup Series rivals.