When the checkered flag fell at the final race of the 2005 season, many believed veteran driver Ricky Rudd had competed in his final NEXTEL Cup Series race. While Rudd took a year away from NASCAR’s hectic 36-race schedule, he never lost the desire to participate at the highest level of stock car racing. This season Rudd returns to competition in the seat of one of NASCAR’s most legendary rides – the #88 Ford at Robert Yates Racing. Also returning to full-time competition is Snickers® Brand who will serve as the primary sponsor of the #88 entry in 2007. Hailing from Norfolk County, Virginia, Rudd began driving go-karts at the age of nine while spending his teenage years racing motorcross. In fact Rudd did not climb behind the wheel of a stock car until practicing and qualifying for his NASCAR debut at North Carolina Speedway in the spring of 1975. His NASCAR debut would mark the first of four races in which he competed for his uncle and familyfriend, owner Bill Champion, before driving for his father during the next three seasons. Rudd clinched “Rookie-of-the-Year” honors in 1977 claiming one top-five and ten top-10s in a total of 25 starts. Over the next decade, Rudd climbed to the top of the NASCAR driver ranks competing for some of the sport’s top owners including Junie Donlavey, Bud Moore, Richard Childress and Rick Hendrick. Even with his success while driving for legends in the sport, including 14 victories and the 1992 International Race of Champions (IROC) Title, Rudd decided to take the challenge of starting his own team in 1994. Driving the #10 entry for long-time NASCAR sponsor Tide, Rudd posted a win in his first season of ownership by taking the top spot at New Hampshire International Speedway en route to finishing in the top-five in championship point standings. The honors continued to roll in for Rudd as he called the shots on and off the track for the #10 Team. His victory at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 1997 made him the first owner/driver to win the Brickyard 400. It was also during his tenure as a team owner that Rudd was named as one of NASCAR’s top-50 Greatest Drivers of all time. Rudd ended his run as a team owner in 1999 having posted six wins for Rudd Performance Motorsports. In 2000, Rudd joined championship team owner Robert Yates as the driver of the legendary #28 Ford. Over the next three seasons, Rudd posted several impressive stats by finishing in the top-10 in championship points in all three years as well scoring three wins, 26 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes. Over the course of his career Rudd went to victory lane at least once every year for 16 consecutive years, a modern era record he shares with Rusty Wallace. In 2002, Rudd was nicknamed NASCAR’s “Ironman” after starting 656th consecutive career start at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. At the close of the 2002 season, Rudd departed Robert Yates Racing (RYR). With Rudd’s departure, Yates changed the #28 Team to the #38 Team making Rudd the last driver to have piloted the legendary #28. In 2003, Rudd aligned himself with yet another legendary racing team when he was named the driver for the Wood Brothers organization. Rudd would spend three seasons with the Virginia based organization before deciding to take a year away from full-time competition. With the final race of the 2005 season at Homestead-Miami, Rudd made his 788th consecutive start proving once again while he is called NASCAR’s “Ironman.” While he was not in competition, Rudd continued to be honored in his home state of Virginia where he was named the 2006 “Virginian of the Year” as well as being inducted into the Virginia Hall of Fame in the class of 2007. As the 2006 season came to a close, Rudd received an offer to return to competition by his former team owner Robert Yates. 2007 season Rudd drove the Snickers® Brand #88 Ford for RYR. The Snickers® Brand that returned as the primary sponsor. David Gilliland joined Rudd in the 2007 season at Robert Yates Racing . Now that Rudd is retired, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Linda, and son, Landon. The Rudd family enjoys 4-wheeling, snowmobiling and water sports. Ricky is also an avid flyer.
