Carl Edwards was happily spending his Cup off week racing - first at Gateway in the Busch series, and then in several late model races. Sunday night, Edwards crashed into another competitor and hurt his hand at a late model race at I-80 Speedway in Nebraska.
Conflicting reports indicate he hurt his left hand, then his right hand. Regardless, Edwards took a trip to the hospital to have it evaluated. His brother, Kenny Edwards, told reporters the right thumb was dislocated when it caught on the steering wheel during the crash.
Edwards has since canceled a testing session at Milwaukee on Monday, another testing session Tuesday at Bristol, and a racing appearance at a dirt track on Wednesday.
This could be a costly injury at the midpoint in the season for the Busch series leader, and the fifth place driver in the Cup standings. Edwards anticipates racing in both the Busch and Cup race this weekend in Indianapolis.
The injury highlights the danger to drivers who elect to moonlight at other racing events/series. Other competitors who regularly engage in moonlighting include Tony Stewart (who has broken ribs), Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Kenny Wallace, JJ Yeley, Ken Schrader, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson.
I enjoy seeing Cup drivers race in different series than they typically do, but each race increases the chances that they will become injured and unable to race in their primary series.
Some sponsors have clauses that prevent moonlighting (ie Budweiser-Dale Earnhardt Jr), while other sponsors add their name to the "new" car (ie Dodge/Mopar - Kasey Kahne, Coca-Cola - Tony Stewart).
Owners get into the prevention act by limiting the number of races a driver can race outside his primary series, or by requiring advance notice of the event (Kasey Kahne). Rick Hendrick appears to allow some moonlighting, but not a lot. Jeff Gordon has rarely gone back to his dirt track roots, and while Jimmie Johnson occasionally gets into a Daytona Prototype, he always takes primary sponsor Lowe's with him.
Edwards' injury is sure to cause owners and sponsors to scramble to review their moonlighting policy, And it may be that we will be seeing fewer Cup drivers at the local track.
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