Ricky Rudd has always come across as a bit of a tough guy.
It’s a reputation that developed over time simply because there’s one thing that Rudd isn’t very good at: backing down.
The son of an auto parts store owner, Rudd grew up in South Norfolk, Va. As a teen, he did some motocross and kart racing, eventually moving to stock cars in 1975 at the age of 18.
Longtime NASCAR Cup Series competitor Bill Champion was a family friend and presented Rudd with an opportunity to race at Rockingham Speedway that year. The teen started 26th in a field of 31 cars and finished 11th, remarkable for his first outing. There was three more starts that year, with Rudd failing to finish two of them. He came home 10th in the other.
Rudd attempted six races in the following season in a car owned by his father Al, qualifying for four of them. The results were almost identical, with two DNFs and one 10th-place showing. In 1977, Rudd made an effort to race full time with the family team. He finished in the top 10 in 10 of the 25 races he started, with a best of fourth at Talladega Superspeedway. This earned him the Rookie of the Year title and put him on the radar of teams looking to hire a young driver.
He only ran a part-time schedule in 1978 and 1980, as it was becoming more difficult to keep the team afloat. Rudd still scored four top 10s in only 13 starts. But 1979 brought a new chance for him to shine, as Junie Donlavey hired him to pilot the No. 90. It was a successful relationship, with Rudd finishing in the top 10 17 times in 28 races and winding up ninth in the final standings.
In 1981, he landed the seat at DiGard Racing that had been vacated by Darrell Waltrip‘s move to Junior Johnson‘s team. Paired with eventual legend crew chief Gary Nelson, the No. 88 won three poles and finished sixth in points.
1982 brought a move to Richard Childress Racing that saw Rudd score six top fives and a ninth-place points finish. But it was 1983 that finally ended the frustration of not winning a race. He won the pole for the Daytona 500 and claimed his first two career victories at Riverside International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway.
But prior to 1984, it was announced that Dale Earnhardt would take over the No. 3 Childress car, leaving Rudd dejected and out of a ride.
The disappointment was short lived, as Rudd landed in the car Earnhardt just left, Bud Moore’s No 15 Ford. That year’s Clash brought about one of the first indications of just how tough Rudd was. His car went airborne off of turn 4 and flipped wildly through the air. Rudd sustained a concussion and torn cartilage in his ribcage.
Determined to race in the Daytona 500 a week later, Rudd used tape on his face to keep his swollen eyes open enough that he could see. He also wore a flak jacket to alleviate the rib injury. Rudd not only ran the entire 200-lap race, he also finished seventh.
Upon learning of this treatment long after the fact, the leadership at NASCAR was not amused. In fact, that is what brought about the rule that drivers must be medically evaluated after being involved in any on-track collision.
Still bruised and swollen, Rudd famously went on to win the following week at Richmond Raceway.
Rudd had a successful tenure with Moore, winning one race in both 1984 and 1985, followed by back-to-back two-win seasons in 1986 and 1987. But Rudd wanted to contend for a championship and wasn’t sure that he could get to that level in the No. 15. So in 1988, he moved the the King Racing No. 26 Quaker State-sponsored entry.
It wasn’t an easy transition. While the winning streak continued, the team was plagued by DNFs. Then the driver suffered a knee injury in a crash during the All-Star Race. As if that wasn’t enough, Rudd was hit with a fine after tangling with Earnhardt at North Wilkesboro Speedway on two separate occasions. The tumultuous nature of his tenure likely made it an easy choice when the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 became an option.
Rudd continued winning at a rate of once per year for each of his four years at HMS. In 1991, he nearly scored a second win at Sonoma Raceway but was penalized for contact with then-leader Davey Allison, costing him the victory. He still finished second in the final points as Earnhardt collected his fifth series championship.
After watching Alan Kulwicki claim the title driving a car he owned, several other high-profile drivers started or bought their own teams in 1993 and 1994. Rudd joined them, forming Rudd Performance Motorsports and taking sponsor Tide with him. He continued winning each season but never finished higher than sixth in points.
In 1997, Rudd enjoyed his first multiple-win season since 1987. The second victory of that season would be the biggest of his career, as he claimed the fourth-annual Brickyard 400.
The next year at Martinsville, Rudd further cemented his reputation as a tough guy. On a day when temperatures hovered near 90 degrees, his cooling unit failed and Rudd had to complete the race in blistering heat. He held out to extend his win streak to 16 consecutive years, receiving oxygen in victory lane.
1999 was the end, in more ways than one, for the status quo. Rudd failed to win a race and folded his team at the end of the year to move to the famed Robert Yates-owned No. 28 in 2000. He scored three wins in the car, two in 2001 and one in 2002. That triumph, at Sonoma, was his final Cup win.
In 2003, Rudd joined Wood Brothers Racing in its legendary No. 21 Ford. The stint is nearly just as memorable for an altercation with Kevin Harvick at Richmond as it is for anything else the team accomplished. He finished a best of second on two occasions before announcing he was taking a break from racing in 2006, emphasizing that it was not retirement.
He returned to run full time in 2007, back at Yates but in the No. 88 this time. He had one top 10, a seventh at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, before quietly stepping away for good after the final race that year. He finished his Cup career with 906 starts, 23 wins, 29 poles, 194 top fives and 374 top-10 finishes.
Rudd retired as the Ironman of NASCAR, with 788 consecutive starts, a record that stood until Jeff Gordon surpassed it in 2015. He also won at least one Cup race in 16 consecutive seasons, which is tied for second all time behind Kyle Busch.
Rudd left no doubt that he was as tough as they come. Overcoming injuries, heat and intense competition, he spent more than two decades as a threat to win at the highest level of NASCAR racing. ‘
Now he will be known not only as a tough guy but a Hall of Fame driver as well.
Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future. Follow along with @FrankVelat on Twitter.