American NASCAR driver Carl Edwards is apparently not taking success for granted as he looks quite optimistic after a defeat.
Sharing his thoughts at the final day of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speeday Thursday, Edwards said defeat is bad, "but winning can be just as bad for you."
Edwards’s 70-race long career ended with a winless streak, winning only the final two races of the 2010 season,which marked him the only driver in NASCAR’s three national series entering the new season on a winning streak.
"If you get your ego inflated too much by a result, you might not perform the way the need to. I've learned that about myself and people in general," Edwards added.
Edwards' attention-grabbing performance had led the motorsports media to consider him favorite for the 2009 title. Though unfortunately, the title saw him getting off the victory lane.
“It’s really nice of people to say, but you don’t know what’s going to happen. I stand firm. Please don’t pick me for a d**n thing," he said.
Edwards said he cannot pick what is going to happen this year, "but I do say that we are stronger than we were before.”
During 2004, which was his first full season, Edwards achieved four wins ranking him third in points. While the 2008 season saw him racking up a career-best nine wins and ending championship battle as runner-up.
“We all have lulls in our career and points in our lives where things aren’t going the way you want them to go,” Edwards said.
He said he was extremely grateful to his family, friends and his crew.
“I don’t know what they say when I’m not around, but they tell me, 'we believe in you’ or ‘we’re behind you 100 percent,’ and that’s what does it for me,” Edwards said.
During the winless streak, Edwards’ Roush Fenway Racing organization and Ford Racing both rushed back to make some improvements. Roush corrected a problem it had with its simulation programmes and over the past year, Ford has introduced a new engine.
“Anybody who is successful questions themselves all the time,” Edwards said.
Team owner Jack Roush said Edwards handled the drought, “OK, but not very well.”
“You show me a loser that is very happy with that and doesn’t have any consternation over it and I’ll show you a loser,” Roush said.
Edwards certainly took stock of everything that he could do that might improve his lot and looked at the people around him and things they do.
“I am confident we have everything in place for him to be successful this season,” he hoped.
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