CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of many hardest drivers in NASCAR historical past joined one probably the most enigmatic drivers of the fashionable period as the most recent inductees into the Corridor of Fame in a star-studded Friday evening ceremony.
Ricky Rudd, often called the “Ironman” for his 788 consecutive begins over a 32-year profession, was feted for his grit. After a crash the week earlier than the Daytona 500, Rudd’s eyes had been so swollen he used duct tape to maintain them open in order that he might race. In actuality, it was accidents to his ribs that bothered him most, for every week, however was neglected due to the tape maintaining his eyes open.
One other time, when the cooling system in his automotive failed, his crew tried to assist by pouring water into his firesuit. However the course of backfired and Rudd suffered second-degree burns. He completed the race and did his media obligations mendacity on the bottom.
“He had a job to do, and nothing was going to cease him,” stated seven-time NASCAR champion and fellow Corridor of Famer Richard Petty.
Rudd additionally did not stand all the way down to anybody — he instructed The Related Press his father taught him younger learn how to deal with bullies — and his skill to defend himself prevented many confrontations which may have occurred throughout NASCAR’s rougher days.
Corridor of Famer Jeff Gordon recounted a time the 2 crashed into one another and needed to share an ambulance to the care heart. Gordon stated he was so relieved to see Rudd already seated within the entrance seat as a result of if they’d been within the again collectively, Gordon figured he was about to lose a fistfight.
“He is a man who calls for respect and deserves to be within the Corridor of Fame,” fellow Corridor of Famer Rusty Wallace stated.
Additionally inducted Friday evening was Carl Edwards, a preferred driver who abruptly stop the game after his second controversial lack of a Cup Sequence title.
Edwards, at all times extraordinarily well-liked, was powerful to get a real learn on throughout his profession as lots of his fellow rivals stated he was pretend. Corridor of Famer Tony Stewart, who beat Edwards on a tiebreaker for the 2011 championship, used to name Edwards “Eddie Haskell” for his penchant of being well mannered and pleasant in entrance of cameras and followers, however not so good to his fellow rivals.
He lamented in his speech “the facade of repute” and admitted he was “type of being a douchebag,” in not being mates along with his fellow rivals. Edwards stated, “If I had been a bit extra mature, a bit bit much less self-centered, had a bit extra perspective … we might have been greater than enemies on the racetrack.”
When Edwards misplaced a second title in 2016 and abruptly stop the game — and vanished from the NASCAR group — he thought he’d by no means once more be a part of the group.
“I left eight years in the past and I believed I used to be really turning my again on this complete sport. I believed I used to be making a selection between this sport and my household,” Edwards stated. “And you realize, each prize has its worth, and for me, the prize of my household was price that worth. What you’ve got carried out right here, although, is you’ve got let me win each methods.”
Now that he is again, Edwards instructed AP he plans to return to the monitor in 2025 and is considering tv work — and Amazon nonetheless has positions to fill in its broadcast portion of the upcoming season.
“He had an actual focus in his skilled profession, he’s an actual credit score to our sport and he was a famous person,” stated Corridor of Fame crew proprietor Joe Gibbs, who Edwards drove for when he stop after the 2016 season finale.
Edwards had been main late when a questionable warning was thrown and Edwards was wrecked on the restart.
“I bear in mind him sitting down and saying ‘Hey, Joe, I feel it is time for me to step away from racing,'” Gibbs stated. “And I am going, ‘What? Here is a man who’s in his prime, and for him to say that, I feel it was one of many extra surprising issues that occurred to me in sports activities.”
Additionally inducted Friday evening was the late Ralph Moody, who was elected on the pioneer poll. Dr. Dean Sicking, who’s credited with creating the life-saving SAFER barrier after Dale Earnhardt’s 2001 loss of life, was the Landmark Award winner for contribution to the game, and retired motorsports author Mike Harris of The Related Press was honored because the recipient of the 2025 Squier-Corridor Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
Moody served beneath Gen. George S. Patton in World Warfare II, then returned to Florida in 1949 to pursue racing. He gained 5 races as a driver, then partnered with John Holman in 1957 to type Holman-Moody Racing, which from 1957 to 1973 gained consecutive championships with David Pearson in 1968 and 1969, and gave Mario Andretti the profitable automotive for the 1967 Daytona 500.
Holman-Moody gained 96 races and 83 poles with drivers who included Corridor of Famers Joe Weatherly, Fred Lorenzen, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Allison and Pearson.
