CHARLOTTE, N.C. – One of many hardest drivers in NASCAR historical past joined one essentially the most enigmatic drivers of the trendy period as the most recent inductees into the Corridor of Fame in a star-studded Friday evening ceremony.
Ricky Rudd, referred to as the “Ironman” for his 788 consecutive begins over a 32-year profession, was feted for his grit. Following 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 week, however was neglected due to the tape retaining his eyes open.
One other time, when the cooling system in his automobile failed, his group 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 laying 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 methods to deal with bullies — and his skill to defend himself prevented many confrontations that 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 in the event that they’d been within the again collectively, Gordon figured he was about to lose a fist battle.
“He’s a man who calls for respect and deserves to be within the Corridor of Fame,” stated fellow Corridor of Famer Rusty Wallace.
Additionally inducted Friday evening was Carl Edwards, a well-liked driver who abruptly give up the game after his second controversial lack of a Cup Sequence title.
Edwards, at all times extraordinarily standard, was robust to get a real learn on throughout his profession as lots of his fellow rivals discovered him to be 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 popularity” and admitted he was “form of being a douchebag,” in not being associates along with his fellow rivals. Edwards stated, “If I had been slightly extra mature, slightly bit much less self-centered, had slightly extra perspective… we might have been greater than enemies on the racetrack.”
When Edwards misplaced a second title in 2016 and abruptly give up the game — and actually 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 actually turning my again on this entire sport. I believed I used to be making a alternative between this sport and my household,” Edwards stated. “And you already know, each prize has its worth, and for me, the prize of my household was value that worth. What you have completed right here, although, is you have let me win each methods.”
Now that he is again, Edwards instructed AP he plans to come back to the observe some in 2025 and is serious about 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 celebrity,” stated Corridor of Fame group proprietor Joe Gibbs, who Edwards drove for when he give up 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 believe it’s time for me to step away from racing,’” recalled Gibbs. “And I’m going, ‘What? Right here’s a man who’s in his prime, and for him to say that, I believe it was one of many extra stunning 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 following 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 as recipient of the 2025 Squier-Corridor Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
Moody served beneath Gen. George S. Patton in World Struggle 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 kind Holman-Moody Racing, which from 1957 to 1973 gained consecutive championships with David Pearson in 1968 and 1969, and gave Mario Andretti the profitable automobile for the 1967 Daytona 500.
Holman-Moody gained 96 races and 83 poles with drivers that included Corridor of Famers Joe Weatherly, Fred Lorenzen, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Allison and Pearson.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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