HAMPTON, VA :: Greg Edwards, along with his race team and car owner James Long, couldn’t be more excited about the upcoming 2014 race season at Langley Speedway after a long season last year filled with engine failure and mechanical issues that ruined the 2012 Langley Late Model track champion’s hopes for a repeat.
Even though Edwards scored three wins and got the last laugh in the season finale, it just wasn’t going to wipe away a season of disappointment and misfortunes. So what does a three time track champion do to adjust? You go through your whole racing program and sometimes, you give your girl a fresh coat of paint!
I recently spoke with Greg Edwards about the highs and lows of the 2013 season, along with the mindset heading into 2014.
“You know, we had just a lot of stupid failures last year,” Edwards said. “From the time of the week before the Hampton Heat and on throughout the rest of the year, I feel like we had the car to beat especially on the long runs. I think we’re building on that and were going to start from that platform. Our engine program I think we really found something with Charlie High (engine builder) and he looks to be really excited about it and I am excited about that myself. So I think we’ll be just fine, we just had slump there for a bit and whatever could go wrong did go wrong early in the season. It got us behind and a lot of this sport is as much mental as to what you can do and if you get down, it just amplifies.”
We then talked about his hot rod (LaFawnduh) sporting a black primary color for 2014, asking if the color is going to reflect him and his teams attitude/determination to win in 2014.
“Most definitely, that’s what we’re going out there for, were going for wins,” Edwards expressed. “At this point in my career, that’s what I enjoy doing, that’s what my guys what to do. Yeah finishing second in a second place car is fine but we want to win. The competition at Langley Speedway now is as tough as it’s ever been. We got a lot of great teams with great drivers. We’re ready to go out there, win a bunch of races and I’d like to get on a streak, I feel like were ready to do that now.”
Speaking of the Langley Speedway competition such as CE Falk, Matt Waltz, Nick Smith and Casey Wyatt, I asked Edwards about if there was going be a lot of pressure to win every week.
“Of course, it’s always a lot of pressure to win, you know, Langley is a tough place to win at,” Edwards stated. “There’s no way around it, you have got to be on your game to win, I mean, you pretty much have to be perfect to win now. I really feel like that what we found from the week before the Hampton Heat 200, we really found something. I feel like what Charlie High is working on with our motor program, the few little things were tweaking on just seem that was all that was lacking. You know, there was a couple of guys really pushing it, the #2 car and the #77 were making a lot of heat and I think they found something before we did but I feel like we found it now. I’m excited and ready to sit on some poles and bring it home.”
Though Greg Edwards clearly expressed winning in 2014, I had to ask the three time Langley Late Model champion about a fourth title and just what it would mean to the Langley Speedway veteran.
“Well for me, when you look at it first you’re like, well, it’s a championship what does it do. The older I get the more it’s more of a legacy that I would like to leave on the race track” Edwards explained. “When I finally decide I’m not going to race all the time and I’m not going for a championship. You look at these people that laid down legacy’s like my brother (Danny Edwards Jr, five-time), Phil Warren (seven-time) or Elton Sawyer (three-time). Even now I mean, you look at CE Falk, he’s got to be a force to reckon with and his championships. So yeah, when my son grows up, my daughter looks at it and says look, dad did this. It’s going to be very cool for me”.
Finally, we talked about the people that make Greg Edwards Racing possible.
“First I would like to thank my whole crew and thank everyone at 97.3 The Eagle, Danny’s Glass and I got to thank James Long, he’s been such a great car owner to me” Edwards commented. “We’ve gotten to be such great friends and were pushing as hard as we can with him. He’s given me everything he can give so sometimes though we don’t have the big dollars that some teams have but we just make it work with what we got.”
Greg Edwards is one tough competitor and no doubt, he’ll be up front giving fits to those who can’t catch him. Yet, he is a humbled racer who will not forget those from the past, giving honor to those in the present and looking forward to being of those in the future. I think he’s already there and it’s why he’s a Langley Speedway fan favorite. Expect great things from Greg Edwards and his race team in 2014 at Langley Speedway.
