Edwards seems satisfied after talks about safety issues at Talladega

Carl Edwards insists that safety issues at Talladega Superspeedway must be addressed after he survived a violent crash on the final lap Sunday. He seems relatively satisfied after meeting earlier this week with NASCAR officials.

Even though he holds firm that change is necessary at Talladega, Edwards laughed it off yesterday before qualifying for the Crown Royal Presents Russell Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

"We got to do a lot of media this week but not for the reasons I wanted," said Edwards, seeking his first victory at one of NASCAR's premier short tracks. "I'm just happy I didn't have to use my Aflac insurance and I'm good. I'm glad to be at Richmond."

Edwards appeared more than ready to move on yesterday. But he found himself caught up in talk about Talladega.

He spent part of his meeting with NASCAR suggesting that while racing at Talladega is fun for fans, it's a problem for drivers racing in groups. He insisted the sport's governing body address, in particular, the yellow-line rule that caused Edwards and eventual winner Brad Keselowski to collide -- a crash that sent Edwards airborne into the catch-fence and injured several fans.

"I'm not an engineer, so I didn't tell them, 'This is how it has to be,' but the bottom line is unless you take the banking out of that racetrack or we don't go race there, you've got this big problem trying to keep the cars apart, keep them slow, and that's the battle," Edwards said.

Edwards was in Daytona to talk to NASCAR officials on Thursday. He said talks went well, but he left with an understanding that NASCAR has work to do to keep both drivers and fans safe at Talladega.

"We've come a long ways in the last however many years, but there's still stuff that can be done," Edwards said. "All we did was talk about things that really needed to be done, and they're working on ideas of things to be done."

Kurt Busch, who assumed the points lead from Jeff Gordon at Talladega, seemed skeptical that NASCAR officials will seriously consider drivers' suggestions.

"[NASCAR] likes suggestions and ideals, but ultimately they go with their own," he said.

Greg Biffle suggested policing drivers who pass below the double yellow line. Drivers who force another driver below the yellow line should be penalized.

"We continue to push the envelope as far as bump drafting," Biffle said. "Ultimately, that's what creates an accident."

Jeff Burton, a South Boston native, said the Keselowski-Edwards collision overshadowed an exciting finish.

"If Edwards hadn't gotten into the fence, people would be talking about how great the race was," Burton said.

Edwards, second in the Nationwide Series, said yesterday he didn't have a chance to see how much damage was done to the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. The car was stripped soon after he climbed out of it.

Edwards, too, wasn't feeling any pain. And he's still surprised at being lifted into the fence.

"It was a little strange when I realized I was off the ground," he said. "It surprised me when I hit the fence. I didn't realize I was going towards the fence at that sharp of an angle, so that surprised me when I hit it. That got my attention."