| Ricky Rudd | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Rudd atDaytona International Speedway in 2004 | |||||||
| Born | Richard Lee Rudd (1956-09-12)September 12, 1956 (age 68) South Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||
| Achievements | 1992IROC Champion 1997Brickyard 400 Winner 2006Dan Wheldon Cup (Robo-Pong 200) winner Most career starts inNASCAR Cup Series modern era (906) | ||||||
| Awards | 1977 Winston Cup SeriesRookie of the Year Named one ofNASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) 2006 Virginian of the Year Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (2007) Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame (2010) Named one ofNASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2025) | ||||||
| NASCARCup Series career | |||||||
| 906 races run over 32 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (1991) | ||||||
| First race | 1975Carolina 500 (Rockingham) | ||||||
| Last race | 2007Ford 400 (Homestead) | ||||||
| First win | 1983Budweiser 400 (Riverside) | ||||||
| Last win | 2002Dodge/Save Mart 350 (Sonoma) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCARXfinity Series career | |||||||
| 3 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 65th (1983) | ||||||
| First race | 1983Sportsman 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| Last race | 1983Miller Time 300 (Charlotte) | ||||||
| First win | 1983Sportsman 200 (Dover) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Statistics current as of February 16, 2015. | |||||||
Richard Lee Rudd (born September 12, 1956), nicknamed "the Rooster", is an American formerracing driver and racing team owner. He is the uncle of actorSkeet Ulrich and formerNASCARBusch Series driverJason Rudd. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins; twenty were done in a span from 1983 to 1998, where he won at least one race in sixteen consecutive seasons, a mark only surpassed by three other drivers.[1] He was named the 2006 Virginian of the Year and was inducted into theVirginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. In October 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors those who have contributed to sports in southeasternVirginia.
Rudd was born inSouth Norfolk, Virginia (nowChesapeake), the son of Margaret (née McMannen) and Alvin R. Rudd Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts.[2][3][4] He began racing as a teenager inkarting andmotocross, but did not attempt stock car racing until he was eighteen years old, when he made his NASCAR debut atNorth Carolina Speedway in 1975, driving the No. 10Ford for family friendBill Champion.
Qualifying 26th, he finished in 11th place despite running 46 laps down. He then ran an additional three races for Champion, his best finish being a tenth atBristol Motor Speedway. He drove another four races in1976 for his father, posting another tenth finish at theFirecracker 400. He went full-time in1977, again driving the No. 22 for hisfather. He had ten Top 10 finishes and was named Rookie of the Year. Rudd ran part-time the following season. Despite the abbreviated schedule, he earned four top-tens and finished 31st in points. In1979, he signed withJunie Donlavey to pilot the No. 90 Truxmore-sponsored car, garnering four Top 5’s and a ninth-place finish in the final points standings.
He did not return to Donlavey in 1980, and started out in a part-time run for his dad andD. K. Ulrich. He finished season in the No. 7Sanyo-sponsored car for Nelson Malloch, for whom he had one tenth-place finish.
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In 1981, Rudd signed withDiGard Motorsports to drive the No. 88 car. Although he had no victories, he won his first three pole positions, and began his lengthy streak of consecutive race starts. In 1982 Rudd stepped into the No. 3 Pontiac for Richard Childress Racing. Rudd had six Top 5s but dropped down to ninth in the points standings. In the1983 Daytona 500, Rudd became the youngest pole winner in Daytona 500 history at the age of 26 and would hold that record until2014 when it was broken by a 23 year oldAustin Dillon. He was able to get his first two career wins in 1983 at Riverside and Martinsville respectively, but he again finished ninth in points. He also ran the only three Busch Series races of his career that season, winning in his debut event at Dover Downs.
In1984, Rudd andDale Earnhardt swapped rides, with Rudd moving over to the No. 15Ford forBud Moore. The move came after Earnhardt signed with Childress, leaving Rudd disappointed and out of a ride until he drove for Moore.[5] Rudd was involved in a horrific crash in theBusch Clash atDaytona, in which his car went airborne (in a crash thatNed Jarrett described as something like a "bucking horse") before suffering a concussion and a torn cartilage in his rib cage. His eyes were swollen so badly he taped his eyes open to be able to race in theDaytona 500, as well as a flak jacket for his rib injury. After learning of this long after the fact, NASCAR instituted the policy of examining all drivers involved in wrecks to ensure that they will be able to race safely the next week.[6] He won his first race for this team in only his second start at Richmond and improved to seventh in points. He moved up one spot in points in the following season, and then a career-best 5th-place finish in 1986. Despite an additional 2 victories in1987, Rudd left Moore Engineering at the end of the season.
Rudd joinedKing Racing beginning in1988 in the No. 26Buick Regal owned by drag racing legendKenny Bernstein. He struggled with engine failures all season long and finished 11th in the point standings, his worst points finish in eight years. In addition, Rudd suffered a knee injury in a crash atThe Winston.[6] At North Wilkesboro, Rudd was fined $10,000 for actions detrimental to stock car racing after spinningDale Earnhardt late in the race.[5] After his only win of1989, which came at the inaugural Sears Point event, Rudd departed the operation. He tangled with Earnhardt again at North Wilkesboro, as a last-lap altercation while fighting for the lead handed the win toGeoff Bodine.[5] In 1990, Rudd signed withHendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 5Chevrolet Lumina. He was able to winThe Bud at the Glen and finished seventh in the point standings. However, he was involved in a fatalpit road accident in the season-finaleAtlanta Journal 500, in which he spun intoBill Elliott's pit and accidentally crushed Elliott's tire changer Mike Rich, who died hours later in surgery.[7] That fatal incident caused NASCAR to implement pit road speed limits at every NASCAR track, for all of the series.
In1991, Rudd won his only race of the year atDarlington Raceway. Later in the year at Sonoma, Rudd was the center of controversy in one of the most bizarre finishes in NASCAR. Rudd started on pole at the race, and was offered a bonus paycheck with the winning money if he won the race. Rudd took the second spot with 3 laps left, and when the white flag was waved Rudd tappedDavey Allison to take the lead. When Rudd came back around to the finish line he waved to his pit crew but was shown a black flag for the tap. His win was taken away and given to Allison who refired to end up in second place. Rudd ended up in second place; Rick Hendrick, and crew chief Waddell Wilson unsuccessfully tried to appeal the penalties.
He finished the year a career-best 2nd-place finish in points. The following season, he won thePeak Antifreeze 500, but dropped to seventh in points. After finishing another three spots lower in points in1993, he left Hendrick to start his own racing corporation Rudd Performance Motorsports.
Rudd took Tide and formed his own race team in 1994, Rudd Performance Motorsports, and drove the No. 10Ford Thunderbird that season. His first win as an owner/driver came atNew Hampshire International Speedway, which led to a fifth-place points finish.1995 saw his consecutive winning streak almost end before he won theDura Lube 500 at Phoenix, the second-to-last race of the season. He had another near miss in1996, but won late in the year atNorth Carolina Speedway.
In1997, Rudd had two wins, one in theBrickyard 400 and the other atDover International Speedway, making this his highest win total since 1987, but he dropped to 17th in the points standings, making this the first time he finished outside of the Top 10 in nine years. His only win in1998 came atMartinsville Speedway, dealing with high air temperatures and a faulty cooling system. As a result, Rudd suffered burns and blisters over most of his body, and gave his victory lane interview lying on the ground breathing from an oxygen mask. This was the last win of his consecutive victory streak, as he struggled with mechanical failures and wrecks throughout the season. With 16 winning seasons in a row, he nonetheless broke a new record that still stands today, thoughJimmie Johnson managed to tie it in2017. The following year, Rudd failed to win a race, snapping a 16-season streak with at least one victory.[8] When Tide left his team, Rudd chose to liquidate his equipment and close his team.
After many rumors and speculation, Rudd was hired to pilot the No. 28Texaco/Havoline-sponsoredFord Taurus forRobert Yates Racing in2000. Although he still did not win any races that season, he did have two poles and moved to fifth in the points standings, a 26-spot improvement over the previous season. In2001, Rudd got his first win in three years atPocono, followed by another win atRichmond late in the season. He also matched a career-high 14 top-five finishes. Rudd scored his final win atSonoma in2002, but dropped to 10th in points. Following thefall Richmond race, Rudd had a heated argument with RYR engine specialist Larry Lackey on pit road, with Lackey punching Rudd in the face and Rudd retaliating with a water bottle. Rudd was finedUS$5,000 and placed on probation while Lackey was finedUS$10,000 before resigning from his position at RYR.[9] Rudd left RYR at the end of the 2002 season.
In2003, Rudd signed to drive the No. 21 Ford forWood Brothers Racing, replacingElliott Sadler, who took over Rudd's seat at RYR. Rudd scored four top-fives and a 23rd-place finish in points that year. Thefollowing year, he won his final career pole atTalladega, but fell a spot in the standings. He was able to recover to earn nine top 10s in2005 and improved to 21st in points. The closest he came to winning a race between 2003 and 2005 was atSonoma in 2005, when he led several laps and finished second toTony Stewart after being passed by him with nine laps to go.
At the end of the 2005 season, Rudd left the No. 21 team and announced he would "take a break from racing", although he was not retiring. At the time he was known as NASCAR's "ironman", or record holder for most consecutive starts, ending at 788,[10] and holding the record until it was surpassed byJeff Gordon in 2015.[11]
Rudd spent most of2006 out of racing, racing only at Dover, where he filled in for an ailingTony Stewart. He made an appearance to meet and sign autographs for fans at the 2006 Carl Casper's Custom Auto Show atFreedom Hall inLouisville, Kentucky and meanwhile, he also raced in a karting event called the RoboPong 200 inNewcastle, Indiana in a race full of IndyCar stars, and eventually etching his name on theDan Wheldon Cup, the trophy that since 2012 has become that event's signature trophy. Late in the season, his return to Yates was announced, to drive the No. 88 Ford full-time. His best finish since his return to the sport was seventh in theCoca-Cola 600. Since he missed theChevy Rock & Roll 400, it was the first time in his career where he did not make a start due to an injury.Kenny Wallace drove the No. 88 on an interim basis until Rudd healed, except atTalladega, whereMike Wallace drove the car. Rudd made his return at Charlotte, where he finished 11th. He finished his career with a 21st-place finish at the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami.
After the 2007 season, and a 32-year career, Rudd resides at his home inCornelius, North Carolina. In 2007, Rudd was inducted into the 2007 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and in 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame that honors those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia. Rudd now lives what he calls "a very simple lifestyle" with his family.[12] On February 7, 2012, Rudd signed to be an analyst forSpeed Channel's weekend motor sports news program,SPEED Center. Following the announcement he said, "I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. It’s going to be a lot of fun working with the gang at SPEED."[13] In 2013, Rudd made appearances in Series Two of the TV showDallas in scenes filmed atTexas Motor Speedway as the hired driver forChristopher Ewing's methane-powered race car.
On February 17, 2014, Rudd was inducted into the Daytona Beach Stock car Hall of Fame by Rotary International.
Even though he retired from professional racing, Rudd still races go-karts at GoPro Motorplex in the Charlotte area.[5]
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Al Rudd Auto | Chevy | DNQ | |
| 1977 | 21 | 22 | ||
| 1978 | 36 | 37 | ||
| 1979 | Donlavey Racing | Mercury | 11 | 31 |
| 1981 | DiGard Motorsports | Olds | 5 | 3 |
| 1982 | Richard Childress Racing | Pontiac | 16 | 35 |
| 1983 | Chevy | 1 | 24 | |
| 1984 | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 14 | 7 |
| 1985 | 9 | 5 | ||
| 1986 | 22 | 11 | ||
| 1987 | 31 | 9 | ||
| 1988 | King Racing | Buick | 27 | 17 |
| 1989 | 36 | 19 | ||
| 1990 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevy | 19 | 4 |
| 1991 | 9 | 9 | ||
| 1992 | 8 | 40 | ||
| 1993 | 12 | 30 | ||
| 1994 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 20 | 8 |
| 1995 | 18 | 13 | ||
| 1996 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 1997 | 13 | 9 | ||
| 1998 | 40 | 42 | ||
| 1999 | 29 | 30 | ||
| 2000 | Yates Racing | Ford | 2 | 15 |
| 2001 | 30 | 4 | ||
| 2002 | 9 | 38 | ||
| 2003 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 5 | 15 |
| 2004 | 16 | 18 | ||
| 2005 | 11 | 24 | ||
| 2007 | Yates Racing | Ford | 2 | 26 |
| NASCARLate Model Sportsman 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 | NLMC | Pts | Ref |
| 1983 | Zervakis Racing Team | 01 | Olds | DAY | RCH | CAR | HCY | MAR | NWS | SBO | GPS | LGY | DOV 1 | BRI | CLT | SBO | HCY | ROU | SBO | ROU | CRW | ROU | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | GPS | BRI | HCY | 65th | 311 | [47] | |||||||||
| Pontiac | DAR 31 | RCH | NWS | SBO | MAR | ROU | CLT 34 | HCY | MAR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)
| International Race of Champions results | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pos. | Pts | Ref |
| 1992 | Dodge | DAY 2* | TAL 3 | MCH 3 | MCH 2 | 1st | 68.5 | [48] |
| 1993 | DAY 5* | DAR 5 | TAL 4 | MCH 7 | 4th | 49 | [49] | |
| 1995 | Dodge | DAY 4 | DAR 11 | TAL 8 | MCH 10 | 10th | 28 | [50] |
| 1996 | Pontiac | DAY | TAL | CLT | MCH 10 | NA | 0 | [51] |
| 2001 | Pontiac | DAY 2 | TAL 4 | MCH 10 | IND 6 | 6th | 45 | [52] |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | IROC Champion IROC XVI (1992) | Succeeded by Davey Allison andTerry Labonte Note: Allison died before the final race and was replaced by Labonte for that event. |
| Achievements | ||
| Preceded by | Brickyard 400 winner 1997 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year 1977 | Succeeded by |