Edwards’ pal drives ‘em wild

Carl Edwards is still adjusting to sudden fame. Luckily for NASCAR’s newest star, his girlfriend steals the spotlight every time she’s on his arm.

Edwards is dating Olympic swimmer and part-time model Amanda Beard, who has caused a stir at the handful of races she’s attended this season.

“She’s more famous than I am, so it makes it a little easier on me when she’s around,” Edwards said. “It’s kind of wild for me when I get recognized in the grocery store. I’m still getting used to all of this.”

Edwards better get comfortable quickly because his career has taken off. He starts 12th in the Coca-Cola 600 today and is a legitimate contender to qualify for NASCAR’s 10-race Chase for the Championship.

He’s 13th in the standings, 273 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, and is on top of the Busch Series standings.

Besides running in both of NASCAR’s top series, Edwards jumped into a dirt modified car earlier this week for a little extracurricular racing. Edwards is going to need the time this summer to recharge.

“I’m really having to make an effort to take some free time for myself,” he said. “I’m so busy between the Cup car and the Busch car, and I hate saying no to anyone so I am always off doing stuff when I should be using the time to catch my breath.”

Hank Parker Jr. was hired to fill some of Edwards’ seat time in the Busch car.

Once the season is over, Edwards may finally start enjoying the spoils of his success. He’s living in a one-bedroom apartment filled with furniture he bought for a total of $200. Sitting in a box in the living room is the 52-inch TV he was given for winning the race in Atlanta.

“People come over and they are like ‘This is how a famous race car driver lives?’ ” Edwards said. “They are shocked, and I have to admit, it is kind of sad. One of these days I’ll slow down and settle in.”

Goodyear: Gender not a factor

ABC commentator Scott Goodyear isn’t critical of female race drivers, despite the face he broke his back at the Indianapolis 500 in 2001, in a crash that involved Sarah Fisher.

Goodyear, on a conference call with reporters this week to promote the Indy 500 telecast, was asked what he thought of female drivers after the 2001 accident, which was triggered when Fisher lost control of her car coming out of Turn 2.

Goodyear said the same thing could have happened to a male driver. In other words, gender was not a factor. If it were, the accident could have been called one heck of a gender fender bender.

How old is Rice? Well …

Is this oldie still a goodie? After Jerry Rice, 42, signed with the Denver Broncos last week, Jim Armstrong of AOL Sports wrote: “How old is he? The Broncos offered him a contract almost two weeks ago, but he didn’t get back to them until Wednesday. Seems he made his decision, but forgot what it was.”

Trinidad’s time has clearly come

Felix Trinidad, following his loss to Winky Wright, has vowed this retirement is for real.

Wrote David Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “It should be when you lose to a boxer named Winky.”