Edwards getting paid to sit out? to Penske in 2018? Denied: when NASCAR star Carl Edwards announced last month that he too is retiring there was no such clarity. Edwards said only that he wanted to spend more time with his family but his press conference left most people unconvinced. Meanwhile I'm [Motorsports writer Gordon Kirby] told that Edwards is being paid more than $15 million to sit-out this year and that he will return to action next year at the wheel of a third Penske Racing Ford. Penske runs two cars for Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano and has been planning to expand to three cars. Penske currently runs a third car for Ryan Blaney in partnership with the Wood Brothers, one of NASCAR's longest-running teams, so RP's team is entirely prepared to run Edwards next year.(gordonkirby.com) UPDATE: per Motorsports writer Lewis Franck's Twitter: "OFFICIAL Just got off the phone with a senior @Team_Penske official who said no truth to Kirby's Carl Edwards story."(2-13-2017)