Ricky Rudd
Encyclopedia
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR
driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich
and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788 consecutive starts. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins under his belt. He was named the 2006 Virginian of the Year and was inducted into the Virginia 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 southeastern Virginia
.
, now Chesapeake
, the son of Margaret (née
McMannen) and Alvin R. Rudd, Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts. He began racing as a teenager in karting
and motocross
, but did not attempt stock car racing until he was eighteen years old, when he made his NASCAR debut at North Carolina Speedway
in 1975, driving the #10 Ford for family friend Bill Champion. Qualifying twenty-sixth, he finished in eleventh place despite running fifty-six laps down. He ran an additional three races for Champion, his best finish being a tenth at Bristol Motor Speedway
. He drove another four races in 1976
for his father, posting another tenth finish at the Firecracker 400. He went full-time in 1977, again driving the #22 for his father. He had ten top-ten finishes and was named Rookie of the Year.Rudd was forced to run part-time the following season after picking up only limited funding from 1st National City Travelers Checks. Despite the abbreviated schedule, he earned four top-tens and finished 31st in points. In 1979, he signed with Junie Donlavey
to pilot the #90 Truxmore car, garnering four top-fives and a ninth place points run. He did not return to Donlavey in 1980, and started out in a part-time run for his dad and D K Ulrich. He would end the season in the #7 Sanyo
car for Nelson Malloch, for whom he had one tenth-place run.
to drive the #88 Gatorade
car. Although he had no victories, he won his first three pole positions, and began his lengthly streak of consecutive race starts. In 1982 Ricky Rudd stepped into the #3 Piedmont Airlines Pontiac for Richard Childress Racing. Richard Childress Racing is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina and is owned and operated by former driver now businessman Richard Childress. Ricky had six top-fives but dropped down to ninth in the championship standings. He was able to get his first two wins of his career in 1983, at Riverside and Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway respectively, but stayed at 9th in points. He also ran the only three Busch Series races of his career that season, winning in his debut event at Dover Downs.
In 1984, Rudd and Dale Earnhardt
swapped rides with Rudd moving over to the #15 Wrangler Jeans
Ford
for Bud Moore
. Rudd was involved in a horrific crash in the Busch Clash at Daytona
. Rudd's car became airborne, and he suffered a concussion. His eyes were swollen so badly, that he taped his eyes open in order to be able to race in the Daytona 500
. After learning of this long after the fact, NASCAR instituted the policy of examining all drivers involved in wrecks in order to assure that they will be able to race safely the next week. He won his first race for this team in only his second start at Richmond and improved to seventh in points. Motorcraft
became the team's new sponsor the following season, and he moved up one spot in points in that season, and then a career-best fifth in 1986. Despite an additional two victories in 1987
, Rudd left Moore at the end of the season.
Rudd joined King Racing
beginning in 1988
in the #26 Quaker State
Buick Regal
owned by drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein
. He struggled with engine failures all season long and finished 11th in the standings, his worst points finish in eight years. After his only win of 1989
came at the inaugural Sears Point event, Rudd departed the operation, and signed with Hendrick Motorsports
to drive the #5 Levi Garrett
Chevrolet Lumina
. He was able to win The Bud at the Glen and finished seventh in the final standings. He was involved in a fatal pit road
accident at the season-ending Atlanta Journal 500, when he spun into Bill Elliott
's pit, crushing Elliott's tire changer Mike Rich.
In 1991
, Tide
became his new sponsor, and Rudd won his only race of the year at Darlington Raceway
. Later in the year at Sonoma, Rudd crossed the finished line first, but had his win taken away after he spun Davey Allison
on the last lap. He finished the year a career-best second in points. The following season, he won the Peak Antifreeze 500, but dropped to seventh in points. After finishing another three spots lower in points in 1993
, he left Hendrick.
Rudd took Tide and formed his own race team in 1994, Rudd Performance Motorsports, and drove the #10 Ford Thunderbird
that season. His first win as an owner/driver came at New Hampshire International Speedway
, which led to a fifth-place points finish. 1995
saw his consecutive winning streak almost end before he won the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix, the second-to-last race of the season. He had another near miss in 1996
, but won at North Carolina Speedway
.
In 1997
, Rudd had two wins, one of them coming at the Brickyard 400 and the other at Dover
, his highest win total since 1987, but he dropped to seventeenth in the standings, the first time he finished outside of the top-ten in nine years. His lone of win in 1998
came at Martinsville 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 would be the last win of his consecutive victory streak, as he struggled with mechanical failures and wrecks throughout the season. When Tide left his team, Rudd chose to liquidate his equipment and close his team. NASCAR reassigned the number to Tyler Jet Motorsports
for an unrelated team.
/Havoline
Ford Taurus
for Robert Yates Racing for 2000
. Although he still did not win that season, he had two poles and moved to fifth in the points standings, a 26 spot improvement over the previous year. In 2001
, Rudd got his first win in three years at Pocono Raceway
, followed by another victory late in the season at Richmond. He also matched a career-high 14 top-five finishes. He won his most recent race at Infineon in 2002, but dropped to tenth in the standings. Rudd left Yates at the end of the 2002 season.
Rudd was hired in 2003
to drive the #21 Motorcraft
Ford for Wood Brothers Racing
, and he responded with four top-fives and a twenty-third place points finish. In 2004
, he won his final career pole at Talladega Superspeedway
, but fell a spot in the standings. He was able to recover to earn nine top-tens in 2005
, and improved to 21st in points. At the end of the season, Rudd announced he would "take a break" from racing, although not effectively retire.
Rudd spent most of 2006
out of racing, racing only at Dover, where he filled in for the ailing Tony Stewart
. Ricky Rudd made an appearance to meet and sign autographs for fans at the 2006 Carl Casper's Custom Auto Show at Freedom Hall
in Louisville, Ky
, and meanwhile also raced in a karting event, the RoboPong 200 (now the Dan Wheldon Cup) in Newcastle, Indiana, winning with future NASCAR prospect Paulie Harraka
in a race full of IndyCar stars. Late in the season, it was announced he would return to Yates to drive the #88 Snickers
Ford full-time. His best finish since his return to the sport was a seventh at the Coca-Cola 600
. As he missed the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, it was the first time in Rudd's career where he did not make a start due to injury. Kenny Wallace
drove the #88 on an interim basis until Rudd healed, except at Talladega
, where Mike Wallace
drove the #88. He made his return at Charlotte, where he finished 11th. Rudd finished his career with a 21st place finish at the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami.
. In 2007, Rudd was inducted into the 2007 Virginia 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.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich
Skeet Ulrich
Bryan Ray Trout , best known as Skeet Ulrich, is an American actor best known for starring in the CBS drama Jericho as Jake Green and for portraying Billy Loomis in Scream...
and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788 consecutive starts. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins under his belt. He was named the 2006 Virginian of the Year and was inducted into the Virginia 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 southeastern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Early life and career
Ricky Rudd was born in Norfolk County, VirginiaNorfolk County, Virginia
Norfolk County was a county of the South Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia in the United States that was created in 1691. After the American Civil War, for a period of about 100 years, portions of Norfolk County were lost and the territory of the county reduced as they became parts of the separate...
, now Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 199,184 people, 69,900 households, and 54,172 families residing in the city. The population density was 584.6 people per square mile . There were 72,672 housing units at an average density of 213.3 per square mile...
, the son of Margaret (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
McMannen) and Alvin R. Rudd, Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts. He began racing as a teenager in karting
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
and motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
, but did not attempt stock car racing until he was eighteen years old, when he made his NASCAR debut at North Carolina Speedway
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
in 1975, driving the #10 Ford for family friend Bill Champion. Qualifying twenty-sixth, he finished in eleventh place despite running fifty-six laps down. He ran an additional three races for Champion, his best finish being a tenth at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
. He drove another four races in 1976
1976 in NASCAR
The 1976 NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup Series season began on Sunday, January 18 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Cale Yarborough, driving the #11 Junior Johnson Holly Farms Chevrolet scored his first of three consecutive NASCAR Grand National Series Winston Cup Championships...
for his father, posting another tenth finish at the Firecracker 400. He went full-time in 1977, again driving the #22 for his father. He had ten top-ten finishes and was named Rookie of the Year.Rudd was forced to run part-time the following season after picking up only limited funding from 1st National City Travelers Checks. Despite the abbreviated schedule, he earned four top-tens and finished 31st in points. In 1979, he signed with Junie Donlavey
Junie Donlavey
W.C. "Junie" Donlavey , is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner with a team based in Richmond. Rarely fielding a car without his familiar #90, he began fielding his team in 1950. He drove for his team at first, but soon gave way to other drivers...
to pilot the #90 Truxmore car, garnering four top-fives and a ninth place points run. He did not return to Donlavey in 1980, and started out in a part-time run for his dad and D K Ulrich. He would end the season in the #7 Sanyo
Sanyo
is a major electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo targets the middle of the market and has over 230 Subsidiaries and Affiliates....
car for Nelson Malloch, for whom he had one tenth-place run.
1981–1987
In 1981, Rudd signed with DiGard MotorsportsDiGard Motorsports
DiGard Motorsports was a championship-winning race team in NASCAR Winston Cup that had its most success in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
to drive the #88 Gatorade
Gatorade
Gatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
car. Although he had no victories, he won his first three pole positions, and began his lengthly streak of consecutive race starts. In 1982 Ricky Rudd stepped into the #3 Piedmont Airlines Pontiac for Richard Childress Racing. Richard Childress Racing is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina and is owned and operated by former driver now businessman Richard Childress. Ricky had six top-fives but dropped down to ninth in the championship standings. He was able to get his first two wins of his career in 1983, at Riverside and Martinsville Speedway Martinsville Speedway respectively, but stayed at 9th in points. He also ran the only three Busch Series races of his career that season, winning in his debut event at Dover Downs.
In 1984, Rudd and Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
swapped rides with Rudd moving over to the #15 Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler is a manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items. The brand is owned by the VF Corporation, who also own Lee, JanSport and The North Face, among others. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, with production plants in a variety of locations throughout the world...
Ford
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
for Bud Moore
Bud Moore Engineering
Bud Moore Engineering was a championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned and operated by mechanic Bud Moore and ran out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. While the team was a dominant force in the 60s and 80s, the final years were tumultuous due to lack of sponorship and uncompetitive race cars.-...
. Rudd was involved in a horrific crash in the Busch Clash at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
. Rudd's car became airborne, and he suffered a concussion. His eyes were swollen so badly, that he taped his eyes open in order to be able to race in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. After learning of this long after the fact, NASCAR instituted the policy of examining all drivers involved in wrecks in order to assure that they will be able to race safely the next week. He won his first race for this team in only his second start at Richmond and improved to seventh in points. Motorcraft
Motorcraft
Motorcraft is an auto parts brand of Ford Motor Company.-History:The Ford Motor Company launched this auto parts division in 1972 to provide replacement parts and original equipment parts. This brand replaced Autolite as Ford's official parts brand. Autolite is still a brand name in use today, but...
became the team's new sponsor the following season, and he moved up one spot in points in that season, and then a career-best fifth in 1986. Despite an additional two victories in 1987
1987 in NASCAR
The 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season began February 8 and ended November 22. Dale Earnhardt of RCR Enterprises won the championship for the third time...
, Rudd left Moore at the end of the season.
1988–1993
King Racing
King Racing was the name of famed NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein's racing team which fielded cars in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series as well as in CART and the Indianapolis 500.-NASCAR:...
beginning in 1988
1988 in NASCAR
The 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began February 7 and ended November 20. Bill Elliott of Melling Racing won the championship.See also: 1988 in NASCAR Busch Series- 1988 Team Chart :- Busch Clash :...
in the #26 Quaker State
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
Buick Regal
Buick Regal
The Buick Regal is a mid-size car introduced by General Motors for the 1973 model year. North American production ended in 2004 and began again in 2011. For the 2011 model year, Buick re-introduced the Regal to the North American market, positioned as an upscale sport sedan...
owned by drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein
Kenny Bernstein is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King dragster, he has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start...
. He struggled with engine failures all season long and finished 11th in the standings, his worst points finish in eight years. After his only win of 1989
1989 in NASCAR
The 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began February 12 and ended November 19. Rusty Wallace of the #27 Kodiak Pontiac for Blue Max Racing won the championship...
came at the inaugural Sears Point event, Rudd departed the operation, and signed with Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
to drive the #5 Levi Garrett
Levi Garrett
Levi Garrett is a brand of chewing tobacco. It has a noticeably salty flavor....
Chevrolet Lumina
Chevrolet Lumina
The North American Chevrolet Lumina sedan , coupe and minivan were first introduced in 1989 for the 1990 model year as a new range of vehicles from the Chevrolet brand of General Motors to replace the Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Celebrity sedan, and the Monte Carlo coupe. The Lumina was an answer...
. He was able to win The Bud at the Glen and finished seventh in the final standings. He was involved in a fatal pit road
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
accident at the season-ending Atlanta Journal 500, when he spun into Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
's pit, crushing Elliott's tire changer Mike Rich.
In 1991
1991 in NASCAR
The 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began February 10 and ended November 17. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing was crowned champion at the end of the season. It was his fifth championship.-1991 Team Chart:-Busch Clash:...
, Tide
Tide Ride
The Tide Ride is a nickname given to any NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car that has carried the sponsorship of the detergent brand Tide, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble over the years...
became his new sponsor, and Rudd won his only race of the year at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
. Later in the year at Sonoma, Rudd crossed the finished line first, but had his win taken away after he spun Davey Allison
Davey Allison
David Carl "Davey" Allison was a NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the eldest of four children born to Bobby Allison and wife Judy...
on the last lap. He finished the year a career-best second in points. The following season, he won the Peak Antifreeze 500, but dropped to seventh in points. After finishing another three spots lower in points in 1993
1993 in NASCAR
The 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season began on February 7 and ended on November 14. Dale Earnhardt of Richard Childress Racing won the title, the sixth of his career....
, he left Hendrick.
1994–1999
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
that season. His first win as an owner/driver came at New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
, which led to a fifth-place points finish. 1995
1995 in NASCAR
The 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on February 12 and concluded November 12. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won his first career championship.- Overview :...
saw his consecutive winning streak almost end before he won the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix, the second-to-last race of the season. He had another near miss in 1996
1996 in NASCAR
The 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series started on February 18, 1996 and ended on November 10, 1996 with Terry Labonte pulling off a massive upset and winning his second championship.-1996 Team Chart:-Busch Clash:...
, but won at North Carolina Speedway
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
.
In 1997
1997 in NASCAR
- 1997 Team Chart :- Busch Clash :The Busch Clash, a race for polewinners from the previous season, and drivers who have won the event before, was run on February 9 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Terry Labonte drew the pole...
, Rudd had two wins, one of them coming at the Brickyard 400 and the other at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, his highest win total since 1987, but he dropped to seventeenth in the standings, the first time he finished outside of the top-ten in nine years. His lone of win in 1998
1998 in NASCAR
See Also: 1998 in NASCAR Busch Series-1998 Team Chart:-Bud Shootout Qualifier:The Bud Shootout Qualifier, a race for the fastest second round qualifier, from each race from the previous season, was run on February 8 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Sterling Marlin drew the pole...
came at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
, 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 would be the last win of his consecutive victory streak, as he struggled with mechanical failures and wrecks throughout the season. When Tide left his team, Rudd chose to liquidate his equipment and close his team. NASCAR reassigned the number to Tyler Jet Motorsports
Tyler Jet Motorsports
Tyler Jet Motorsports was a NASCAR Winston Cup race team.Tyler Jet Motorsports was owned by Tim Beverly, owner of the airplane sales company that shared a name with the race team, and was formed in 1998 after Beverly purchased the assets of DarWal, Inc...
for an unrelated team.
2000–2005
After many rumors and speculation, Rudd was hired to pilot the #28 TexacoTexaco
Texaco is the name of an American oil retail brand. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owns the Havoline motor oil brand....
/Havoline
Havoline
Havoline is a motor oil brand of Texaco, a former major oil company based in the United States that is now merged with the Chevron Corporation.-History:First introduced 1904, the Havoline brand was named by Havemeyer Oil Company of New York....
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
for Robert Yates Racing for 2000
2000 in NASCAR
The 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Season began on Sunday February 13 and ended on Sunday November 20. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte was crowned champion at season's end. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was won by Ford when they captured 14 wins and 234 points to better Pontiac's 11 wins...
. Although he still did not win that season, he had two poles and moved to fifth in the points standings, a 26 spot improvement over the previous year. In 2001
2001 in NASCAR
The 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season began on February 11 at the Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 23 at the New Hampshire International Speedway. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned series champion for the fourth time in seven years. The season was marked by tragedy,...
, Rudd got his first win in three years at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
, followed by another victory late in the season at Richmond. He also matched a career-high 14 top-five finishes. He won his most recent race at Infineon in 2002, but dropped to tenth in the standings. Rudd left Yates at the end of the 2002 season.
Rudd was hired in 2003
2003 in NASCAR
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Saturday February 8 and ended on Sunday November 16. Matt Kenseth with Roush Racing driving a Ford was crowned the Winston Cup champion, despite winning only one race all year. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins...
to drive the #21 Motorcraft
Motorcraft
Motorcraft is an auto parts brand of Ford Motor Company.-History:The Ford Motor Company launched this auto parts division in 1972 to provide replacement parts and original equipment parts. This brand replaced Autolite as Ford's official parts brand. Autolite is still a brand name in use today, but...
Ford for Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing is an American auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. The team was formed in 1950 by the sons of Walter and Ada Wood, thus the Wood Brothers...
, and he responded with four top-fives and a twenty-third place points finish. In 2004
2004 in NASCAR
The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season began on Saturday, February 7 and ended on Sunday, November 21. Kurt Busch with Roush Racing driving a Ford was the Nextel Cup champion....
, he won his final career pole at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
, but fell a spot in the standings. He was able to recover to earn nine top-tens in 2005
2005 in NASCAR
The 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series began on Saturday, February 12. The ten race Chase for the Nextel Cup started with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 18, and ended on Sunday, November 20, with the Ford 400....
, and improved to 21st in points. At the end of the season, Rudd announced he would "take a break" from racing, although not effectively retire.
2006–2007
2006 in NASCAR
The 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season started at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, February 12 with the Bud Shootout and ended on Sunday, November 19 with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup began with the Sylvania 300 on Sunday, September 17 at New Hampshire...
out of racing, racing only at Dover, where he filled in for the ailing Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
. Ricky Rudd made an appearance to meet and sign autographs for fans at the 2006 Carl Casper's Custom Auto Show at Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
in Louisville, Ky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and meanwhile also raced in a karting event, the RoboPong 200 (now the Dan Wheldon Cup) in Newcastle, Indiana, winning with future NASCAR prospect Paulie Harraka
Paul Harraka
Paulie Harraka is a NASCAR driver from Wayne, New Jersey. He has raced in the Nationwide Series.-Career:Harraka began racing in karts as a youth. He won the New Jersey State Championship as a 7 year old in 1997. He won total of 158 kart races. In 2005 he moved from kart to legends car racing....
in a race full of IndyCar stars. Late in the season, it was announced he would return to Yates to drive the #88 Snickers
Snickers
Snickers is a brand name chocolate bar made by Mars, Incorporated. It consists of peanut nougat topped with roasted peanuts and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate. Snickers has annual global sales of $2 billion....
Ford full-time. His best finish since his return to the sport was a seventh at the Coca-Cola 600
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, formerly known as the World 600, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held each year at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend...
. As he missed the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, it was the first time in Rudd's career where he did not make a start due to injury. Kenny Wallace
Kenny Wallace
Kenneth Wallace is an American stock car driver who currently drives the #09 Family Farmers/University of Northwestern Ohio/Federated Auto Parts/American Ethanol/Iowa Corn/G-Oil/Marquis Energy Toyota Camry for RAB Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
drove the #88 on an interim basis until Rudd healed, except at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
, where Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (NASCAR)
Mike Wallace is a NASCAR race car driver born in Fenton, Missouri. He currently drives the #01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He is a younger brother to Rusty Wallace, older brother to Kenny Wallace, and uncle to Steve Wallace...
drove the #88. He made his return at Charlotte, where he finished 11th. Rudd finished his career with a 21st place finish at the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami.
After racing
After the 2007, and a 32 year career, Rudd resides at his home in Cornelius, North CarolinaCornelius, North Carolina
Cornelius is a town located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 11,969 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cornelius is located along Lake Norman in northern Mecklenburg County...
. In 2007, Rudd was inducted into the 2007 Virginia 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.