Ricky Rudd (No. 88 Snicker’s Ford) will hit a major milestone this weekend when he becomes the second driver to start 900 races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Rudd – the series’ active starts leader – sits behind only Richard Petty (1,185) on the all-time list.
“This is a record that just kind of sneaks up on you, ” Rudd said. “I started out as one of the youngest guys in this sport and now I’m one of the oldest guys out there still racing. It’s a real honor to be able to have this kind of longevity with a long and fruitful career. ”
Rudd is considered the “Iron Man” of NASCAR having competed in 788 straight races, a series record. He took the year off in 2006 only to return this season to compete for Robert Yates Racing. Rudd recently announced that he will retire after this season.
“When I took the 2006 season off, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, ” Rudd said. “But now I know that after this season I’ll be able to spend time with my family and have the opportunity to do whatever it is that I want to do next in my life. I’m kind of excited about the adventure ahead. ”
In his 899 starts, Rudd has 23 wins (26th all-time) and 29 poles. He also has 194 top-five and 374 top-10 finishes. He was runner-up to Dale Earnhardt for the 1991 championship.
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