# Jody Ridley

Murphy Jody Ridley (born May 19, 1942) is a former NASCAR driver. He won the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award and one race at Dover International Speedway the next year, the only Cup victory for Donlavey Racing.
His career statistics include 140 career starts, one win, seven top fives, 56 top tens, and two top ten points finishes (fifth in 1981, and seventh in 1980).
He now resides in Chatsworth, Georgia. He was inducted in the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.

## Early life

Born in Chatsworth, Georgia, and raised in Dalton, Ridley was a fan of cars from a young age. In 1967, he purchased Joe Lee Johnson's 1963 Ford Mustang at the age of 25. At that time, he had only been racing and affiliated with NASCAR for a year, joining the professional leagues in 1966. 1967 would be the beginning of Ridley's career, participating in many NASCAR races throughout Georgia, such as in Lakewood, Trenton, and Byron.

## Motorsports career results
### NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

#### Winston Cup Series

NASCAR Winston Cup Series results :
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | NWCC | Pts | Ref |
| 1973 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Mercury | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | CLT | DOV | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY | BRI | ATL 5 | TAL 37 | NSV | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | | | | | 59th | - | |
| 1973 | Elliott Racing | 09 | Ford | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CAR 31 | | | | | | 59th | - |
| 1974 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Ford | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL 33 | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | BRI | NSV | ATL | POC | TAL | MCH | DAR | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | CAR 30 | ONT | | 88th | 3.17 | |
| 1975 | Donlavey Racing | 93 | Ford | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL 29 | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ATL 11 | ONT | | NA | 0 | |
| 1975 | Arrington Racing | 6 | Dodge | | | | | | | | | | | NSV 27 | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | DAR | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | RCH | CAR | BRI | | | | | | NA | 0 |
| 1977 | Makar Enterprises | 84 | Mercury | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR | ATL 14 | NWS | DAR | BRI | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | ONT | | 87th | 121 | |
| 1979 | Donlavey Racing | 77 | Mercury | RSD | DAY | CAR | RCH | ATL | NWS | BRI | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | TWS | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL 5 | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT 26 | NWS | CAR | ATL 10 | ONT | 47th | 374 | |
| 1980 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Ford | RSD 16 | | RCH 18 | CAR 29 | | BRI 11 | DAR 10 | NWS 7 | MAR 7 | | NSV 8 | DOV 6 | | TWS 26 | RSD 11 | MCH 6 | | NSV 8 | POC 18 | | | | DAR 30 | RCH 5 | DOV 9 | NWS 9 | MAR 9 | | CAR 5 | ATL 6 | ONT 18 | 7th | 3972 | |
| 1980 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Mercury | | DAY 10 | | | ATL 6 | | | | | TAL 10 | | | CLT 12 | | | | DAY 7 | | | TAL 30 | MCH 18 | BRI 12 | | | | | | CLT 8 | | | | | | 7th | 3972 |
| 1981 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Ford | RSD 7 | DAY 7 | RCH 8 | | ATL 6 | BRI 6 | NWS 28 | DAR 7 | MAR 6 | TAL 31 | NSV 25 | DOV 1 | CLT 20 | TWS 6 | RSD 7 | MCH 4 | DAY 38 | NSV 10 | POC 15 | TAL 8 | MCH 12 | BRI 20 | DAR 12 | RCH 9 | DOV 11 | MAR 21 | NWS 7 | CLT 15 | CAR 10 | ATL 5 | RSD 9 | 5th | 4002 | |
| 1981 | Miller Racing | 79 | Olds | | | | CAR 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 5th | 4002 |
| 1982 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Ford | DAY 9 | RCH 13 | BRI 20 | ATL 17 | CAR 33 | DAR 22 | NWS 17 | MAR 12 | TAL 38 | NSV 13 | DOV 17 | CLT 6 | POC 9 | RSD 7 | MCH 27 | DAY 15 | NSV 8 | POC 36 | TAL 14 | MCH 26 | BRI 8 | DAR 28 | RCH 25 | DOV 25 | NWS 9 | CLT 7 | MAR 7 | CAR 31 | ATL 28 | RSD 9 | | 13th | 3333 | |
| 1983 | Robert McEntyre Racing | 84 | Buick | DAY 10 | RCH | CAR | ATL 17 | DAR 27 | NWS | MAR | TAL 32 | NSV | DOV | BRI | CLT DNQ | RSD | POC | MCH | DAY 8 | NSV | POC | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 32nd | 1050 | |
| 1983 | Robert McEntyre Racing | 84 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | TAL 31 | MCH 15 | BRI | DAR 33 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 12 | CAR | ATL 10 | RSD | | 32nd | 1050 | |
| 1984 | Robert McEntyre Racing | 84 | Chevy | DAY 10 | RCH | CAR | ATL 27 | BRI | NWS | DAR 36 | MAR | TAL 16 | NSV | DOV | CLT 8 | RSD | POC | MCH 35 | DAY 19 | NSV 28 | POC | TAL 34 | MCH 14 | BRI | DAR 16 | RCH | DOV 29 | MAR | CLT 7 | NWS | CAR | ATL 32 | RSD | | 14th | 1288 | |
| 1985 | Helen Rae Motorsports | 00 | Chevy | DAY DNQ | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR | NWS | MAR | TAL | DOV | CLT | RSD | POC | MCH | DAY | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | RSD | | | | NA | - | |
| 1986 | RahMoc Enterprises | 57 | Ford | DAY 12 | RCH | CAR | ATL 29 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 33rd | 1213 | |
| 1986 | RahMoc Enterprises | 75 | Pontiac | | | | | BRI 23 | DAR 20 | NWS 15 | MAR 10 | TAL 42 | DOV 18 | CLT 21 | RSD | POC 11 | MCH 34 | DAY 13 | POC | TAL | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT | CAR | ATL | RSD | | | | 33rd | 1213 | |
| 1989 | Melling Racing | 9 | Ford | DAY RL$^†$ | CAR | ATL | RCH | DAR | BRI | NWS | MAR | TAL | CLT | DOV | SON | POC | MCH | DAY | POC | TAL | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | DOV | MAR | CLT | NWS | CAR | PHO | ATL | | | NA | NA | |
| $^†$ – Relieved Bill Elliott during race ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

##### Daytona 500

| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
| 1980 | Donlavey Racing | Mercury | 27 | 10 |
| 1981 | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 27 | 7 |
| 1982 | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 23 | 9 |
| 1983 | Robert McEntyre Racing | Buick | 18 | 10 |
| 1984 | Robert McEntyre Racing | Chevrolet | 33 | 10 |
| 1985 | Helen Rae Motorsports | Chevrolet | DNQ | DNQ |
| 1986 | RahMoc Enterprises | Ford | 33 | 12 |
| 1989 | Melling Racing | Ford | RL$^†$ | RL$^†$ |

#### Busch Series

NASCAR Busch Series results :
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | NBSC | Pts | Ref |
| 1982 | | 98 | Pontiac | DAY 2 | RCH | BRI | MAR | DAR 2 | HCY | SBO | CRW | RCH | LGY | DOV | HCY | CLT | ASH | HCY | SBO | CAR | CRW | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | BRI | HCY | RCH | MAR | CLT | HCY | MAR | 75th | 340 | |
| 1985 | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 8 | Pontiac | DAY | CAR | HCY | BRI | MAR | DAR | SBO | LGY | DOV | CLT 29 | SBO | HCY | ROU | IRP | SBO | LGY | HCY | MLW | BRI | DAR | RCH | NWS | ROU | CLT | HCY | CAR | MAR | | | 86th | 76 | |