Carl Edwards’ season started with a bang, and not just on the track.

Edwards won the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opener at Daytona — a huge accomplishment on its own. But in the postrace winner’s interview, Edwards received an even bigger honor from his Truck series owner, Jack Roush.

“Carl Edwards is the heir apparent to Mark Martin in the No. 6 car,” Roush said matter-of-factly.

Edwards, the 2003 Truck series rookie of the year, already was laden with intense expectations, and he hadn’t even driven in a Nextel Cup Series race. He has now.

Following Jeff Burton’s unexpected departure from Roush Racing last month, Roush immediately put Edwards in its No. 99 Ford in Cup.

He made his series debut Aug. 22 at Michigan, and came away with an impressive 10th-place finish. Last weekend at Bristol, Tenn., he had a tougher time, finishing 33rd and completing 386 of 500 laps.

Roush has made no certain plans for Edwards for 2005, but it’s likely he’ll remain in Cup racing with the No. 99.

In the span of six months, Edwards has gone from an anointed heir to a veteran Cup driver to his teammate on the track.

“It’s definitely a change. It hasn’t all sunk in yet. It’s almost like it’s too good to be true. I can’t describe to you guys how much work myself and all of my friends and family have put in, and it was work not money,” said Edwards, 25, following his Truck win at Bristol last weekend.

Edwards

Since joining the Truck series in the 2002 season, Edwards has six wins — three in 2003 and three this season. He was eighth in points last season and is third heading to the Sept. 9 race at Richmond, Va.

The native of Columbia, Mo., has been successful in many forms of racing — modifieds, pro modifieds, U.S. Auto Club Silver Crown, Baby Grand national and midgets.

He signed with Roush Racing a week before the start of the 2003 Truck season, where he concentrated his NASCAR efforts until replacing Burton this season.

Roush plans for Edwards to remain in the car the rest of the season, which would eliminate him from competing for rookie of the year honors next season. Drivers cannot make more than seven starts in a season to keep rookie status.

“You don’t want to give up your long-term opportunities for success, for an opportunity to compete for an award,” Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said. “(But) there’s another award to compete for next year. It’s called the Nextel Cup championship, and that’s still the first award we go after, and the other awards fall in.”