(born
September 12 ,
1956 in
Chesapeake, Virginia ) was a
NASCAR race car driver. He last drove the #21 car sponsored by
Motorcraft and the
United States Air Force .
Rudd is the "Ironman" of NASCAR, holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At his retirement, Rudd had made 788 consecutive starts. He is also remembered as one of the "Tide ride" drivers as well as for winning a race in sixteen consecutive seasons (1983 to 1998). Rudd had a total of 23 wins, 194 top 5's, and 373 top 10's. On November 8, 2005, Rudd announced his intention to take a break from racing effective at the end of 2005 season. Ricky Rudd was named the 2006 "Virginian of the Year."
- Ricky was nicknamed " Rooster " in his early years for not taking any abuse from anyone, including the late Dale Earnhardt and current driver Kevin Harvick .
- Rudd began racing at the age of 19, in 2003 he was the most active full-time driver.
- Ricky Rudd was the final driver of the number "28" Texaco Havoline Ford Taurus , after Rudd left Robert Yates , Yates assigned 38 to Elliott Sadler and Dale Jarrett kept 88 leaving 28 off the track for the first time in 15 years.
- Rudd's first race car was owned by his uncle and family friend Bill Champion .
- Rudd never raced a car at any level of motorsports until he made his debut at North Carolina Speedway in 1975 in a car number 90 owned by former racer Bill Champion.
- Actor Skeet Ulrich is the son of former driver D.K. Ulrich and is Ricky Rudd's nephew.
- During the 1989 Holly Farms 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway , Rudd attempted to pass the late Dale Earnhardt low in the first turn of the last lap of the race and Rudd ended up wrecking both cars. Both drivers were able to finish 9th and 10th. After the race, crew members of both teams fought on pit road. Earnhardt was furious at Rudd and said he should be suspended for the rest of the season. However, Rudd held his tongue and did not say any bad blood toward Earnhardt of the incident.
- Ricky Rudd was the first driver of Richard Childress Racing before Dale Earnhardt became the driver. Rudd won Childress' first race as an owner at the old Riverside road course in California.
- At Richmond International Raceway , while racing with Kevin Harvick , the two made contact sending Harvick into the wall. Harvick later confronted Rudd on pit road and Harvick was placed on probation.
- Rudd is the ONLY owner/driver to win the Brickyard 400 .
- He was inducted into the Virginia Motor Sports Hall Of Fame .
- He was Virginia Sportsman of the Year in 1999.
- Ricky Rudd won the 1999 NAPA Autocare 500 on an extremely hot day, and nearly collapsed in Victory Lane and suffered second degree burns and was treated in victory lane.
- The win was his 16th year with at least one win in the Nextel Cup Series , but he would not win the following season.
- Rudd's team was named Rudd Performance Motorsports .
- As of April 27 , 2006 , Rudd confirmed that Toyota is courting him. He's honored, but, to date, has politely declined. He said that retirement thing ain't so bad. He is stated as saying he misses the raceday activities but doesn't miss the grind of the 36-race schedule.
