| Joe Ruttman | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ruttman in 1996 | |||||||
| Born | (1944-10-28)October 28, 1944 (age 81) Upland, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Achievements | 1980USAC Stock Car Champion 1969, 1973Glass City 200 Winner 1985Cracker 200 Winner | ||||||
| Awards | 1978USACStock Car Rookie of the Year West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2011) | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 255 races run over 20 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 12th (1983) | ||||||
| First race | 1963Riverside 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
| Last race | 2004MBNA America 400 (Dover) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARO'Reilly Auto Parts Series career | |||||||
| 21 races run over 8 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 41st (1985) | ||||||
| First race | 1982Sportsman 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| Last race | 2005Aaron's 312 (Talladega) | ||||||
| First win | 1982Sportsman 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARCraftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| 172 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (1995) | ||||||
| First race | 1995Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 2007Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 (Gateway) | ||||||
| First win | 1995Pizza Plus 150 (Bristol) | ||||||
| Last win | 2001Jelly Belly 200 (Pikes Peak) | ||||||
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Raymond Joseph Ruttman[1] (born October 28, 1944) is an American formerstock car racing driver who competed inNASCAR'sSprint Cup Series,Nationwide Series, andCamping World Truck Series. With 13 career wins in the Truck Series he is currently tied for 13th on the all-time wins list withMike Bliss (as of October 13, 2021). He is the younger brother ofTroy Ruttman.
Ruttman was theUnited States Automobile Club's 1978USAC Stock Car Rookie of the Year, and the 1980 USAC Series champion.[2]

Ruttman made hisNASCAR Grand National Series (now known as theNASCAR Cup Series) debut in 1963 atRiverside International Raceway, finishing tenth at the Winston Western 500.[3] He drove in three more Series races between 1964 and 1980, while racing local tracks in between. Ruttman caught a big break in 1981 when J.D. Stacy, who had just boughtRod Osterlund's team, hired him to take over forDale Earnhardt, who left the team mid-season to joinRichard Childress Racing.[4] Ruttman went on to run a full Series schedule from 1982 through 1984, 1986, and 1991. His best season was in 1983, when he finished 12th in points. During his twenty years in the Sprint Cup Series he had sixty top-ten finishes and nineteen top-fives.[5] He came very close to winning a race at Richmond in 1982, but a late power-steering failure sent his car into the wall and gaveDave Marcis the victory. He also picked up a runner-up finish at the same track, finishing five seconds behindKyle Petty in 1986, although, had Ruttman not been collected in a final-lap accident, he would have actually won.
In 1995, Ruttman competed in the inauguralNASCAR SuperTrucks Series (now known as the Craftsman Truck Series), where he would finally reach his potential. Joe Ruttman would dominate the middle of the season, winning two races that year on his way to finishing second in the championship. His success as a full-time driver in the Truck Series continued as he went on to win 11 more races between 1996 and 2007. He won his last race at age 56, making him the oldest race winner in any NASCAR division.
At Rockingham in 2004, Ruttman made his first Cup Series start since 1995, driving a one-off race forPhoenix Racing. However, it was a controversial "start-and-park" run. Ruttman contributed to an ongoing controversy by not showing up with a pit crew, and only coming to collect a small share of the prize money. Ruttman was ordered off the track by NASCAR after one lap and team ownerJames Finch was admonished by officials. At the time, there was a controversy over unqualified "field-fillers" being in the race and led to changes in the NASCAR rulebook.
Born inUpland,California, Ruttman is a resident of North Port, Florida. He is the younger brother of Indianapolis 500 winnerTroy Ruttman.[6]His father, Ralph "Butch" Ruttman, was an award-winning mechanic on top Indy teams.
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| NASCARGrand National Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | NGNC | Pts | Ref |
| 1963 | Carl Dane | 98 | Mercury | BIR | GGS | THS | RSD 10 | DAY | DAY | DAY | PIF | AWS | HBO | ATL | HCY | BRI | AUG | RCH | GPS | SBO | BGS | MAR | NWS | CLB | THS | DAR | ODS | RCH | CLT | BIR | ATL | DAY | MBS | SVH | DTS | BGS | ASH | OBS | BRR | BRI | GPS | NSV | CLB | AWS | PIF | BGS | ONA | DAR | HCY | RCH | MAR | DTS | NWS | THS | CLT | SBO | HBO | RSD | 56th | 1584 | [7] | |||||||
| 1964 | Troy Ruttman | 1W | Mercury | CON | AUG | JAC | SAV | RSD 34 | DAY | DAY | DAY | RCH | BRI | GPS | BGS | ATL | ASW | HBO | PIF | CLB | NWS | MAR | SAV | DAR | LGY | HCY | SBO | CLT | GPS | ASH | ATL | CON | NSV | CHT | BIR | VAL | PIF | DAY | ODS | OBS | BRR | ISP | GLN | LIN | BRI | NSV | MBS | ASW | DTS | ONA | CLB | BGS | STR | DAR | HCY | RCH | ODS | HBO | MAR | SAV | NWS | CLT | HAR | AUG | JAC | 127th | 100 | [8] |
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Jim Stacy Racing | Buick | 8 | 3 |
| 1983 | Benfield Racing | Chevrolet | 11 | 4 |
| 1984 | 31 | 28 | ||
| 1985 | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 32 | 17 |
| 1986 | King Racing | Buick | 40 | 28 |
| 1989 | CalCar Motorsports | Pontiac | 17 | 13 |
| 1990 | 27 | 26 | ||
| 1991 | RahMoc Enterprises | Oldsmobile | 14 | 3 |
| 1993 | Moroso Racing | Ford | 36 | 38 |
| 1994 | Melling Racing | Ford | 34 | 18 |
| 1995 | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 27 | 19 |
| 1996 | DNQ | |||
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Re/Max Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | ARMC | Pts | Ref |
| 1967 | 23 | Ford | DSP | DAY | DAY | DAY | AUS | PAS | CCS | HOU | FMS | NKS | TOL | NSV | ACS | LCF | SLM | ELD | BFS | MLL | BAR | AND 8 | CMS | BFS | SSP | FMS | KMS | CCF | SLM | ACS | TOL | DSP | CMS | KMS | NA | 0 | [47] | |
| 1972 | Info not available | SLM | DAY | FMS | WIN | I70 | SLM | QCS | LCF | ELD | IRP | NBS | WIN | TOL | SHA | SLM | FMS | TOL 2 | CCF | FRS | QCS | NBS | NA | 0 | [48] | |||||||||||||
| 1980 | Speedway Engineering | 70 | Pontiac | DAY | NWS | FRS | FRS | MCH 1* | TAL | IMS | FRS | MCH | NA | 0 | [49] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | Joe Ruttman | 5 | Pontiac | DAY 2 | DSP | FRS | FRS | BFS | 11th | 395 | [50] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 59 | Olds | TAL 2 | FRS | COR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Jim Stacy Racing | 9 | Olds | NSV | DAY 1* | TAL | FRS | CMS | WIN | NSV | TAT | TAL | FRS | BFS | MIL | SND | NA | 0 | [51] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | Roulo Brothers Racing | 39 | Chevy | DAY | TAL | FIF | LVL | KIL | TOL | FRS | MCH | DMS | POC | POC | KIL | FRS | INF | I70 | ISF | DSF 21 | TOL | SLM | WIN | ATL | 139th | - | [52] | |||||||||||
| 1995 | DAY 4 | ATL | TAL | FIF | KIL | FRS | MCH 5 | I80 | MCS | FRS | POC 29 | POC | KIL 26 | FRS 1* | SBS | LVL | ISF | DSF 30 | SLM | WIN | ATL | 32nd | 1050 | [53] | ||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Roulo Brothers Racing | 39 | Chevy | DAY 39 | ATL | SLM | AND | CLT | MCH | POC | TOL | SBS | BLN | POC | KIL | FRS | FLM | ISF | WIN | DSF | SLM | CLT | TAL | ATL | 143rd | 35 | [54] | |||||||||||
| 2003 | Roulo Brothers Racing | 39 | Ford | DAY | ATL | NSH | SLM | TOL | KEN | CLT | BLN | KAN | MCH | LER | POC | POC | NSH | ISF | WIN | DSF | CHI 19 | SLM | TAL | CLT | SBO | 144th | 135 | [55] | ||||||||||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | USAC Stock Car Champion 1980 | Succeeded by |