What Carl Edwards said on practicing for Kyle Larson at NASCAR All-Star Race: ‘I’m very likely to crash’

Kyle Larson said he wanted Carl Edwards to jump into the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for a NASCAR Cup Series event, at least for practice.

Larson said last week that he wants Edwards to fill in for Larson for practice at the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway while Larson is practicing and qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

“I think it would be great, that’s my pick this year,” Larson said. “I’ve mentioned it to Jeff Gordon and (Cliff Daniels), but nobody outside of that. So, it’s not anything serious right now, but that’s who I would pick. I think that would make a huge splash in the sport and be great … Carl, if you happen to see this, please jump in the No. 5 car. We want you.”

When Larson was working on attempting “The Double” last season, running the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, Kevin Harvick filled in and drove the car in practice for Larson.

This season, Larson wants to have Edwards, a former Roush-Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing driver and NASCAR Hall of Fame member, jump into the car during all-star practice while he tries to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

In a video from FOX Sports NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, Edwards said no one from Hendrick Motorsports has reached out to him, but he wouldn’t emphatically say no to the idea. Edwards has not run a NASCAR Cup Series race since abruptly retiring in 2017.

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“It’s an honor, really,” Edwards said. “(Larson) is one of the fastest guys to ever drive one of these cars and for him to say that, I don’t know if he’s messing with me. I’m very likely to crash a car if I were to get in one right now.”

Because he hasn’t turned a lap in NASCAR in years, Edwards said he would need time to practice and get his bearings of the racetrack utilizing a simulator.

“It’s never a total no, I like options,” Edwards said. “It’s no for now, but I’d drive a sim and check it out.”

Follow sports writer Austin Chastain on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ or reach him via email at achastain@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR All-Star race: Carl Edwards talks on practicing for Kyle Larson