Edwards began racing cars at the age of 12 in 2003, competing in the Skip Barber Series. By his own account he became the youngest open-wheel racing driver in history to win at Daytona International Speedway, achieving that result at 12 years and 238 days of age. His early talent prompted a move to Europe in 2005, where he competed in Italian karting before stepping into Formula Renault 2000. Racing in the Eurocup and the German Formula Renault 2.0 series, he was at just 14 years old the youngest driver at the time to hold a FIA racing license in those championships. He finished 16th in the Eurocup in 2006 and fifth in the German series, taking a win at Anderstorp.
In 2007, Edwards returned to the United States and competed in the Atlantic Championship with Forsythe Championship Racing, finishing ninth in points including a second-place result at Toronto.
The 2008 season marked a turning point. Edwards won the Star Mazda Series championship despite missing the opening race, demonstrating the pace and consistency that would define the next phase of his career. He returned to Atlantics for 2009 with Newman Wachs Racing and dominated the championship, capturing four wins and three poles on his way to the title. He won the Atlantic Championship over Jonathan Summerton and Simona de Silvestro.
From 2010, Edwards transitioned to sports car racing, joining the Mazda factory team in the Rolex Sports Car Series GT class. He also secured two Nürburgring VLN class wins for Schubert Motorsports that season. In 2011 and 2012, driving for Stevenson Motorsports in the Grand-Am Continental GS and GT series, he accumulated race wins at Laguna Seca, Road America, Watkins Glen, and Lime Rock Park.
Edwards joined BMW factory machinery in 2013 on a part-time basis, substituting for Joey Hand with BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in the American Le Mans Series GT class. Paired with Dirk Müller, the duo recorded one win among four podiums in that partial campaign.
Edwards was signed full-time by BMW for the 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship alongside Dirk Müller. He and Müller won at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2015 and collected podium finishes at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and Petit Le Mans. The 2016 season brought development challenges with the new BMW M6 GTE, with the team managing a single podium.
For 2017, Edwards was paired with Martin Tomczyk, the 2011 DTM Champion, in his sixth consecutive year as a BMW factory driver. The pair won at Laguna Seca in 2018. That same year Edwards moved into the BMW M8 GTE alongside Jesse Krohn, with Augusto Farfus and Nicky Catsburg joining for endurance rounds. The duo added two pole positions and several podium finishes during the M8's introductory season.
In 2019, Edwards and Krohn continued their partnership, with Alex Zanardi and Colton Herta joining for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Edwards also contested the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring and 24 Hours of Spa that year.
In 2023, Edwards shifted focus to a customer-oriented campaign, pairing with Samantha Tan of ST Racing in the Pro-Am class of the GT World Challenge America. He took on a developmental and advisory role as the team's delegated BMW factory driver, reflecting an evolution toward team management and mentorship alongside continued competition.
John Edwards represents the American GT racing tradition of the 2010s: technically well-rounded, consistent in long stints, and capable of bringing championship-level pace to both sprint and endurance formats. His record of championships in junior categories and long tenure as a BMW factory driver make him one of the more accomplished American GT competitors of his era.