# Ricky Rudd

Richard Lee Rudd (born September 12, 1956), nicknamed "the Rooster", is an American former racing driver and racing team owner. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and former NASCAR Busch Series driver Jason Rudd. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins; twenty were done in a span from 1983 to 1998, where he won at least one race in sixteen consecutive seasons, a mark only surpassed by three other drivers. He was named the 2006 Virginian of the Year and was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. In October 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame, which honors those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia.

## Career
### Early life

Rudd was born in South Norfolk, Virginia (now Chesapeake), the son of Margaret (née McMannen) and Alvin R. Rudd Sr., the president of Al Rudd Auto Parts. He began racing as a teenager in karting and motocross, but did not attempt stock car racing until he was eighteen years old, when he made his NASCAR debut at North Carolina Speedway in 1975, driving the No. 10 Ford for family friend Bill Champion.
Qualifying 26th, he finished in 11th place despite running 46 laps down. He then ran an additional three races for Champion, his best finish being a tenth at Bristol Motor Speedway. He drove another four races in 1976 for his father, posting another tenth finish at the Firecracker 400. He went full-time in 1977, again driving the No. 22 for his father. He had ten Top 10 finishes and was named Rookie of the Year. Rudd ran part-time the following season. Despite the abbreviated schedule, he earned four top-tens and finished 31st in points. In 1979, he signed with Junie Donlavey to pilot the No. 90 Truxmore-sponsored car, garnering four Top 5’s and a ninth-place finish in the final points standings.
He did not return to Donlavey in 1980, and started out in a part-time run for his dad and D. K. Ulrich. He finished season in the No. 7 Sanyo-sponsored car for Nelson Malloch, for whom he had one tenth-place finish.

### 1981–1987

In 1981, Rudd signed with DiGard Motorsports to drive the No. 88 car. Although he had no victories, he won his first three pole positions, and began his lengthy streak of consecutive race starts. In 1982 Rudd stepped into the No. 3 Pontiac for Richard Childress Racing. Rudd had six Top 5s but dropped down to ninth in the points standings. In the 1983 Daytona 500, Rudd became the youngest pole winner in Daytona 500 history at the age of 26 and would hold that record until 2014 when it was broken by a 23 year old Austin Dillon. He was able to get his first two career wins in 1983 at Riverside and Martinsville respectively, but he again finished ninth in points. He also ran the only three Busch Series races of his career that season, winning in his debut event at Dover Downs.
In 1984, Rudd and Dale Earnhardt swapped rides, with Rudd moving over to the No. 15 Ford for Bud Moore. The move came after Earnhardt signed with Childress, leaving Rudd disappointed and out of a ride until he drove for Moore. Rudd was involved in a horrific crash in the Busch Clash at Daytona, in which his car went airborne (in a crash that Ned Jarrett described as something like a "bucking horse") before suffering a concussion and a torn cartilage in his rib cage. His eyes were swollen so badly he taped his eyes open to be able to race in the Daytona 500, as well as a flak jacket for his rib injury. After learning of this long after the fact, NASCAR instituted the policy of examining all drivers involved in wrecks to ensure that they will be able to race safely the next week. He won his first race for this team in only his second start at Richmond and improved to seventh in points. He moved up one spot in points in the following season, and then a career-best 5th-place finish in 1986. Despite an additional 2 victories in 1987, Rudd left Moore Engineering at the end of the season.

### 1988–1993

Rudd joined King Racing beginning in 1988 in the No. 26 Buick Regal owned by drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein. He struggled with engine failures all season long and finished 11th in the point standings, his worst points finish in eight years. In addition, Rudd suffered a knee injury in a crash at The Winston. At North Wilkesboro, Rudd was fined $10,000 for actions detrimental to stock car racing after spinning Dale Earnhardt late in the race. After his only win of 1989, which came at the inaugural Sears Point event, Rudd departed the operation. He tangled with Earnhardt again at North Wilkesboro, as a last-lap altercation while fighting for the lead handed the win to Geoff Bodine. In 1990, Rudd signed with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet Lumina. He was able to win The Bud at the Glen and finished seventh in the point standings. However, he was involved in a fatal pit road accident in the season-finale Atlanta Journal 500, in which he spun into Bill Elliott's pit and accidentally crushed Elliott's tire changer Mike Rich, who died hours later in surgery. That fatal incident caused NASCAR to implement pit road speed limits at every NASCAR track, for all of the series.
In 1991, Rudd won his only race of the year at Darlington Raceway. Later in the year at Sonoma, Rudd was the center of controversy in one of the most bizarre finishes in NASCAR. Rudd started on pole at the race, and was offered a bonus paycheck with the winning money if he won the race. Rudd took the second spot with 3 laps left, and when the white flag was waved Rudd tapped Davey Allison to take the lead. When Rudd came back around to the finish line he waved to his pit crew but was shown a black flag for the tap. His win was taken away and given to Allison who refired to end up in second place. Rudd ended up in second place; Rick Hendrick, and crew chief Waddell Wilson unsuccessfully tried to appeal the penalties.
He finished the year a career-best 2nd-place finish in points. The following season, he won the Peak Antifreeze 500, but dropped to seventh in points. After finishing another three spots lower in points in 1993, he left Hendrick to start his own racing corporation Rudd Performance Motorsports.

### 1994–1999

Rudd took Tide and formed his own race team in 1994, Rudd Performance Motorsports, and drove the No. 10 Ford Thunderbird that season. His first win as an owner/driver came at New Hampshire International Speedway, which led to a fifth-place points finish. 1995 saw his consecutive winning streak almost end before he won the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix, the second-to-last race of the season. He had another near miss in 1996, but won late in the year at North Carolina Speedway.
In 1997, Rudd had two wins, one in the Brickyard 400 and the other at Dover International Speedway, making this his highest win total since 1987, but he dropped to 17th in the points standings, making this the first time he finished outside of the Top 10 in nine years. His only win in 1998 came at Martinsville Speedway, dealing with high air temperatures and a faulty cooling system. As a result, Rudd suffered burns and blisters over most of his body, and gave his victory lane interview lying on the ground breathing from an oxygen mask. This was the last win of his consecutive victory streak, as he struggled with mechanical failures and wrecks throughout the season. With 16 winning seasons in a row, he nonetheless broke a new record that still stands today, though Jimmie Johnson managed to tie it in 2017. The following year, Rudd failed to win a race, snapping a 16-season streak with at least one victory. When Tide left his team, Rudd chose to liquidate his equipment and close his team.

### 2000–2005

After many rumors and speculation, Rudd was hired to pilot the No. 28 Texaco/Havoline-sponsored Ford Taurus for Robert Yates Racing in 2000. Although he still did not win any races that season, he did have two poles and moved to fifth in the points standings, a 26-spot improvement over the previous season. In 2001, Rudd got his first win in three years at Pocono, followed by another win at Richmond late in the season. He also matched a career-high 14 top-five finishes. Rudd scored his final win at Sonoma in 2002, but dropped to 10th in points. Following the fall Richmond race, Rudd had a heated argument with RYR engine specialist Larry Lackey on pit road, with Lackey punching Rudd in the face and Rudd retaliating with a water bottle. Rudd was fined US$5,000 and placed on probation while Lackey was fined US$10,000 before resigning from his position at RYR. Rudd left RYR at the end of the 2002 season.
In 2003, Rudd signed to drive the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing, replacing Elliott Sadler, who took over Rudd's seat at RYR. Rudd scored four top-fives and a 23rd-place finish in points that year. The following year, he won his final career pole at Talladega, but fell a spot in the standings. He was able to recover to earn nine top 10s in 2005 and improved to 21st in points. The closest he came to winning a race between 2003 and 2005 was at Sonoma in 2005, when he led several laps and finished second to Tony Stewart after being passed by him with nine laps to go.
At the end of the 2005 season, Rudd left the No. 21 team and announced he would "take a break from racing", although he was not retiring. At the time he was known as NASCAR's "ironman", or record holder for most consecutive starts, ending at 788, and holding the record until it was surpassed by Jeff Gordon in 2015.

### 2006–2007

Rudd spent most of 2006 out of racing, racing only at Dover, where he filled in for an ailing Tony Stewart. He made an appearance to meet and sign autographs for fans at the 2006 Carl Casper's Custom Auto Show at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky and meanwhile, he also raced in a karting event called the RoboPong 200 in Newcastle, Indiana in a race full of IndyCar stars, and eventually etching his name on the Dan Wheldon Cup, the trophy that since 2012 has become that event's signature trophy. Late in the season, his return to Yates was announced, to drive the No. 88 Ford full-time. His best finish since his return to the sport was seventh in the Coca-Cola 600. Since he missed the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, it was the first time in his career where he did not make a start due to an injury. Kenny Wallace drove the No. 88 on an interim basis until Rudd healed, except at Talladega, where Mike Wallace drove the car. Rudd made his return at Charlotte, where he finished 11th. He finished his career with a 21st-place finish at the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami.

## After racing

After the 2007 season, and a 32-year career, Rudd resides at his home in Cornelius, North Carolina. In 2007, Rudd was inducted into the 2007 Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and in 2010, he was selected to the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame that honors those who have contributed to sports in southeastern Virginia. Rudd now lives what he calls "a very simple lifestyle" with his family. On February 7, 2012, Rudd signed to be an analyst for Speed Channel's weekend motor sports news program, SPEED Center. Following the announcement he said, "I'm really looking forward to the next chapter. It’s going to be a lot of fun working with the gang at SPEED." In 2013, Rudd made appearances in Series Two of the TV show Dallas in scenes filmed at Texas Motor Speedway as the hired driver for Christopher Ewing's methane-powered race car.
On February 17, 2014, Rudd was inducted into the Daytona Beach Stock car Hall of Fame by Rotary International.
Even though he retired from professional racing, Rudd still races go-karts at GoPro Motorplex in the Charlotte area.

## 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.)

#### Cup Series

NASCAR Nextel 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 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | NNCC | Pts |
| 1975 | Champion Racing | 10 | Ford | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR 11 | BRI 10 | ATL 25 | NWS 28 | DAR | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | DAR | DOV | NWS | MAR | CLT | RCH | CAR | BRI | ATL | ONT | | | | | | | 47th | 431 |
| 1976 | Rudd Racing Enterprises | 22 | Chevy | RSD | DAY DNQ | CAR | RCH | BRI | ATL | NWS | DAR | MAR | TAL 23 | NSV | DOV 33 | CLT | RSD | MCH | DAY 10 | NSV | POC | TAL | MCH | BRI | DAR DNQ | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 16 | CAR | ATL | ONT | | | | | | | 53rd | 407 |
| 1977 | Rudd Racing Enterprises | 22 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 22 | | CAR 19 | ATL | NWS | DAR 22 | BRI 10 | MAR | TAL 28 | NSV 10 | DOV 27 | CLT 17 | RSD | MCH 28 | DAY 36 | NSV 10 | POC 7 | TAL 4 | MCH 7 | BRI 16 | DAR 7 | RCH 11 | DOV 32 | MAR 27 | NWS 7 | CLT 24 | CAR 25 | ATL 8 | ONT 8 | | | | | | | 17th | 2810 |
| 1977 | Rudd Racing Enterprises | 22 | Ford | | | RCH 26 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 17th | 2810 |
| 1978 | Rudd Racing Enterprises | 22 | Chevy | RSD | DAY 37 | RCH | CAR | ATL | BRI | DAR 10 | NWS | MAR | | | CLT 28 | NSV | RSD | MCH 9 | | | POC 6 | TAL 39 | MCH 28 | BRI | DAR 36 | RCH | DOV | MAR | NWS | CLT 23 | CAR 25 | ATL 9 | ONT DNQ | | | | | | | 31st | 1260 |
| 1978 | Rudd Racing Enterprises | 22 | Buick | | | | | | | | | | TAL 27 | DOV | | | | | DAY 21 | NSV | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 31st | 1260 |
| 1979 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Mercury | RSD | DAY 31 | | | ATL 9 | | | DAR 8 | | TAL 27 | | | CLT 6 | TWS 28 | RSD | MCH 8 | DAY 13 | NSV | POC 5 | TAL 3 | MCH 7 | | DAR 8 | | | | CLT 11 | | | ATL 8 | ONT 10 | | | | | | 9th | 3642 |
| 1979 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Ford | | | CAR 34 | | | NWS 14 | BRI 10 | | MAR 12 | | NSV 10 | DOV 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | RCH 3 | DOV 8 | MAR 6 | | NWS 5 | CAR 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | 9th | 3642 | |
| 1979 | Donlavey Racing | 90 | Chevy | | | | RCH 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | BRI 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9th | 3642 | |
| 1980 | Ulrich Racing | 40 | Chevy | RSD | DAY | RCH | CAR 12 | ATL 31 | BRI | DAR 19 | NWS | MAR | TAL | NSV | DOV | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 35th | 1213 |
| 1980 | Al Rudd Auto | 22 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | CLT 9 | TWS | RSD | MCH 32 | | | | | | | | | | | | CLT 4 | CAR | ATL | ONT | | | | | | | | 35th | 1213 | |
| 1980 | Nelson Malloch Racing | 7 | Olds | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DAY 13 | | | TAL 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 35th | 1213 |
| 1980 | Nelson Malloch Racing | 7 | Chevy | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSV 28 | POC 10 | | MCH 34 | BRI 28 | DAR 34 | RCH | DOV | NWS | MAR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 35th | 1213 |
| 1981 | DiGard Motorsports | 88 | Chevy | RSD 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NSV 4 | POC 6 | | MCH 3 | BRI 2 | DAR 23 | RCH 12 | DOV 5 | MAR 8 | NWS 25 | CLT 3 | CAR 18 | | | | | | | | 6th | 3988 |
| 1981 | DiGard Motorsports | 88 | Olds | | DAY 3 | RCH 2 | CAR 31 | | BRI 2 | | | | TAL 4 | | | | TWS 24 | | | DAY 40 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6th | 3988 |
| 1981 | DiGard Motorsports | 88 | Buick | | | | | ATL 22 | | NWS 6 | DAR 11 | MAR 3 | | NSV 5* | DOV 5 | CLT 4 | | RSD 5 | MCH 30 | | | | TAL 23 | | | | | | | | | | ATL 38 | RSD 40 | | | | | | | | 6th | 3988 | |
| 1982 | Richard Childress Racing | 3 | Pontiac | DAY 35 | RCH 22 | BRI 27 | ATL 25 | CAR 15 | DAR 29 | NWS 9 | MAR 4 | TAL 24 | NSV 19 | DOV 22 | CLT 7 | POC 6 | RSD 29 | MCH 5 | DAY 7 | NSV 4 | POC 31 | TAL 9 | MCH 14 | BRI 7 | DAR 31 | RCH 4 | DOV 11 | NWS 25 | CLT 31 | MAR 2 | CAR 28 | ATL 7 | RSD 2 | | | | | | | 9th | 3537 |
| 1983 | Richard Childress Racing | 3 | Chevy | DAY 24 | RCH 28 | CAR 6 | ATL 10 | DAR 4 | NWS 27 | MAR 5 | TAL 8 | NSV 14 | DOV 24 | BRI 26 | CLT 32 | RSD 1* | POC 31 | MCH 6 | DAY 21 | NSV 5 | POC 7 | TAL 16 | MCH 27 | BRI 14 | DAR 25 | RCH 2 | DOV 13 | MAR 1* | NWS 6 | CLT 9 | CAR 3 | ATL 26 | RSD 37 | | | | | | | 9th | 3693 |
| 1984 | Bud Moore Engineering | 15 | Ford | DAY 7 | RCH 1 | CAR 7 | ATL 8 | BRI 6 | NWS 3* | DAR 9 | MAR 18 | TAL 22 | NSV 4 | DOV 8 | CLT 11 | RSD 9 | POC 18 | MCH 40 | DAY 15 | NSV 16 | POC 39 | TAL 14 | MCH 12 | BRI 16 | DAR 5 | RCH 2 | DOV 3 | MAR 27 | CLT 8 | NWS 6 | CAR 23 | ATL 3 | RSD 15 | | | | | | | 7th | 3918 |
| 1985 | Bud Moore Engineering | 15 | Ford | DAY 5 | RCH 25 | CAR 32 | ATL 4 | BRI 2 | DAR 25 | NWS 4 | MAR 2 | TAL 5 | DOV 4 | CLT 13 | RSD 4 | POC 7 | MCH 7 | DAY 7 | POC 14 | TAL 18 | MCH 31 | BRI 9 | DAR 6 | RCH 5 | DOV 3 | MAR 4 | NWS 5 | CLT 15 | CAR 7 | ATL 31 | RSD 1 | | | | | | | | | 6th | 3857 |
| 1986 | Bud Moore Engineering | 15 | Ford | DAY 11 | RCH 30 | CAR 28 | ATL 26 | BRI 2 | DAR 26 | NWS 2 | MAR 1* | TAL 36 | DOV 4 | CLT 8 | RSD 3 | POC 4 | MCH 10 | DAY 6 | POC 2 | TAL 3 | GLN 7 | MCH 21 | BRI 23 | DAR 6 | RCH 24* | DOV 1* | MAR 28 | NWS 7 | CLT 4 | CAR 2 | ATL 25 | RSD 19 | | | | | | | | 5th | 3823 |
| 1987 | Bud Moore Engineering | 15 | Ford | DAY 9 | CAR 2 | RCH 28 | ATL 1 | DAR 30 | NWS 5 | BRI 3 | MAR 16 | TAL 30 | CLT 25 | DOV 12 | POC 7 | RSD 2 | MCH 14 | DAY 14 | POC 26 | TAL 15 | GLN 4 | MCH 25 | BRI 3 | DAR 7 | RCH 3 | DOV 1* | MAR 21 | NWS 13 | CLT 11 | CAR 31 | RSD 31 | ATL 3 | | | | | | | | 6th | 3742 |
| 1988 | King Racing | 26 | Buick | DAY 17 | RCH 2 | CAR 17 | ATL 24 | DAR 30 | BRI 20 | NWS 2 | MAR 18 | TAL 29 | CLT 7 | DOV 19 | RSD 3 | POC 30 | MCH 11 | DAY 22 | POC 12 | TAL 41 | GLN 1 | MCH 16 | BRI 16 | DAR 10 | RCH 26 | DOV 10 | MAR 24* | CLT 8 | NWS 7* | CAR 2 | PHO 26* | ATL 4 | | | | | | | | 11th | 3547 |
| 1989 | King Racing | 26 | Buick | DAY 19 | CAR 32 | ATL 24 | RCH 4 | DAR 12 | BRI 8 | NWS 6 | MAR 23 | TAL 31 | CLT 10 | DOV 6 | SON 1* | POC 20 | MCH 4 | DAY 9 | POC 31 | TAL 17 | GLN 29 | MCH 8 | BRI 3 | DAR 3 | RCH 4 | DOV 5 | MAR 8 | CLT 21 | NWS 9 | CAR 28 | PHO 29 | ATL 14 | | | | | | | | 8th | 3608 |
| 1990 | Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Chevy | DAY 4 | RCH 3 | CAR 31 | ATL 27 | DAR 24 | BRI 3 | NWS 4 | MAR 23 | TAL 33 | CLT 28 | DOV 11 | SON 3 | POC 32 | MCH 9 | DAY 13 | POC 7 | TAL 5 | GLN 1 | MCH 5 | BRI 10 | DAR 7 | RCH 8 | DOV 32 | MAR 28* | NWS 11 | CLT 6 | CAR 7 | PHO 32 | ATL 16 | | | | | | | | 7th | 3601 |
| 1991 | Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Chevy | DAY 9 | RCH 2* | CAR 4 | ATL 6 | DAR 1 | BRI 5* | NWS 11 | MAR 11 | TAL 13 | CLT 9 | DOV 10 | SON 2 | POC 20 | MCH 8 | DAY 9 | POC 20 | TAL 4 | GLN 2 | MCH 11 | BRI 5 | DAR 15 | RCH 5 | DOV 7 | MAR 8 | NWS 12 | CLT 32 | CAR 12 | PHO 11 | ATL 11 | | | | | | | | 2nd | 4092 |
| 1992 | Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Chevy | DAY 40 | CAR 28 | RCH 6 | ATL 12 | DAR 5 | BRI 6 | NWS 3 | MAR 23 | TAL 26 | CLT 9 | DOV 6 | SON 4 | POC 36 | MCH 5 | DAY 7 | POC 4 | TAL 4* | GLN 13 | MCH 36 | BRI 8 | DAR 10 | RCH 6 | DOV 1 | MAR 10 | NWS 15 | CLT 5 | CAR 3 | PHO 30 | ATL 25 | | | | | | | | 7th | 3735 |
| 1993 | Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Chevy | DAY 30 | CAR 12 | RCH 15 | ATL 5 | DAR 19 | BRI 26 | NWS 7 | MAR 29 | TAL 41 | SON 3 | CLT 37 | DOV 35 | POC 9 | MCH 1 | DAY 4 | NHA 5 | POC 11 | TAL 24 | GLN 24 | MCH 35* | BRI 22 | DAR 6 | RCH 4 | DOV 21 | MAR 4 | NWS 5 | CLT 8 | CAR 14 | PHO 6 | ATL 2 | | | | | | | 10th | 3644 |
| 1994 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | 10 | Ford | DAY 8 | CAR 11 | RCH 18 | ATL 9 | DAR 9 | BRI 32 | NWS 6 | MAR 12 | TAL 25 | SON 14 | CLT 6 | DOV 19 | POC 21 | MCH 4 | DAY 17 | NHA 1 | POC 6 | TAL 7 | IND 11 | GLN 5 | MCH 10 | BRI 12 | DAR 4 | RCH 5 | DOV 18 | MAR 25 | NWS 11 | CLT 29 | CAR 4 | PHO 7 | ATL 14 | | | | | | 5th | 4050 |
| 1995 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | 10 | Ford | DAY 13 | CAR 4 | RCH 21 | ATL 8 | DAR 41 | BRI 5 | NWS 29 | MAR 30 | TAL 22 | SON 4 | CLT 5 | DOV 31 | POC 13 | MCH 38 | DAY 8 | NHA 5 | POC 3 | TAL 41 | IND 20 | GLN 4 | MCH 30 | BRI 36 | DAR 6 | RCH 8 | DOV 10 | MAR 27 | NWS 5 | CLT 4* | CAR 13 | PHO 1 | ATL 10 | | | | | | 9th | 3734 |
| 1996 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | 10 | Ford | DAY 9 | CAR 4 | RCH 9 | ATL 8 | DAR 9 | BRI 14 | NWS 15 | MAR 23 | TAL 28 | SON 7 | CLT 15 | DOV 8 | POC 2 | MCH 31 | DAY 33 | NHA 3 | POC 2 | TAL 37 | IND 6 | GLN 34 | MCH 8 | BRI 9 | DAR 16 | RCH 12 | DOV 34 | MAR 35 | NWS 7 | CLT 13 | CAR 1 | PHO 14 | ATL 8 | | | | | | 6th | 3845 |
| 1997 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | 10 | Ford | DAY 9 | CAR 4 | RCH 6 | ATL 30 | DAR 23 | TEX 5 | BRI 27 | MAR 13 | SON 34 | TAL 11 | CLT 10 | DOV 1 | POC 21 | MCH 13 | CAL 3 | DAY 34 | NHA 9 | POC 36 | IND 1 | GLN 40 | MCH 29 | BRI 19 | DAR 5 | RCH 28 | NHA 42 | DOV 6 | MAR 13 | CLT 41 | TAL 34 | CAR 40 | PHO 36 | ATL 37 | | | | | 17th | 3330 |
| 1998 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | 10 | Ford | DAY 42 | CAR 43 | LVS 12 | ATL 23 | DAR 33 | BRI 30 | TEX 27 | MAR 14 | TAL 24 | CAL 11 | CLT 31 | DOV 6 | RCH 11 | MCH 37 | POC 41 | SON 28 | NHA 19 | POC 42 | IND 31 | GLN 14 | MCH 13 | BRI 9 | NHA 10 | DAR 22 | RCH 34 | DOV 13 | MAR 1 | CLT 37 | TAL 18 | DAY 27 | PHO 27 | CAR 10 | ATL 24 | | | | 22nd | 3131 |
| 1999 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | 10 | Ford | DAY 30 | CAR 30 | LVS 43 | ATL 25 | DAR 27 | TEX 19 | BRI 38 | MAR 29 | TAL 19 | CAL 41 | RCH 36 | CLT 28 | DOV 14 | MCH 38 | POC 15 | SON 38 | DAY 13 | NHA 27 | POC 27 | IND 9 | GLN 32 | MCH 38 | BRI 3 | DAR 34 | RCH 27 | NHA 42 | DOV 37 | MAR 18 | CLT 38 | TAL 3 | CAR 19 | PHO 5 | HOM 41 | ATL 7 | | | 31st | 2922 |
| 2000 | Yates Racing | 28 | Ford | DAY 15 | CAR 6 | LVS 12 | ATL 11 | DAR 17 | BRI 14 | TEX 10 | MAR 22 | TAL 27 | CAL 4 | RCH 4 | CLT 17 | DOV 5 | MCH 12 | POC 3 | SON 5 | DAY 5 | NHA 10 | POC 38 | IND 21 | GLN 11 | MCH 2 | BRI 10 | DAR 8 | RCH 9 | NHA 3 | DOV 3 | MAR 4 | CLT 3* | TAL 11 | CAR 3 | PHO 37 | HOM 6 | ATL 24 | | | 5th | 4575 |
| 2001 | Yates Racing | 28 | Ford | DAY 4 | CAR 39 | LVS 19 | ATL 6 | DAR 8 | BRI 10 | TEX 37 | MAR 2 | TAL 14 | CAL 6 | RCH 5 | CLT 7 | DOV 10 | MCH 2 | POC 1 | SON 4 | DAY 14 | CHI 3 | NHA 3 | POC 11 | IND 39 | GLN 4 | MCH 42 | BRI 4 | DAR 7 | RCH 1 | DOV 3 | KAN 3 | CLT 21 | MAR 39 | TAL 26 | PHO 3 | CAR 8 | HOM 21 | ATL 35 | NHA 13 | 4th | 4706 |
| 2002 | Yates Racing | 28 | Ford | DAY 38 | CAR 18 | LVS 13 | ATL 20 | DAR 12 | BRI 3 | TEX 4 | MAR 7 | TAL 14 | CAL 3 | RCH 39 | CLT 4 | DOV 19 | POC 17* | MCH 8 | SON 1 | DAY 15 | CHI 19 | NHA 17 | POC 10 | IND 18 | GLN 5 | MCH 12 | BRI 39 | DAR 30 | RCH 7 | NHA 12 | DOV 14 | KAN 20 | TAL 3 | CLT 39 | MAR 3 | ATL 32 | CAR 20 | PHO 13 | HOM 19 | 10th | 4323 |
| 2003 | Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Ford | DAY 15 | CAR 11 | LVS 19 | ATL 35 | DAR 15 | BRI 4 | TEX 26 | TAL 42 | MAR 11 | CAL 24 | RCH 34 | CLT 33 | DOV 17 | POC 37 | MCH 43 | SON 15 | DAY 3 | CHI 13 | NHA 12 | POC 39 | IND 38 | GLN 21 | MCH 29 | BRI 33 | DAR 16 | RCH 3 | NHA 2 | DOV 11 | TAL 36 | KAN 10 | CLT 23 | MAR 15 | ATL 31 | PHO 17 | CAR 40 | HOM 31 | 23rd | 3521 |
| 2004 | Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Ford | DAY 18 | CAR 19 | LVS 28 | ATL 31 | DAR 33 | BRI 37 | TEX 22 | MAR 20 | TAL 17 | CAL 17 | RCH 11 | CLT 26 | DOV 30 | POC 19 | MCH 12 | SON 35 | DAY 17 | CHI 32 | NHA 39 | POC 12 | IND 28 | GLN 8 | MCH 24 | BRI 40 | CAL 17 | RCH 21 | NHA 37 | DOV 12 | TAL 12 | KAN 2 | CLT 16 | MAR 14 | ATL 12 | PHO 19 | DAR 16 | HOM 9 | 24th | 3615 |
| 2005 | Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Ford | DAY 24 | CAL 41 | LVS 37 | ATL 33 | BRI 25 | MAR 7 | TEX 8 | PHO 34 | TAL 30 | DAR 13 | RCH 11 | CLT 35 | DOV 40 | POC 28 | MCH 33 | SON 2 | DAY 13 | CHI 7 | NHA 23 | POC 10 | IND 41 | GLN 16 | MCH 19 | BRI 4 | CAL 9 | RCH 38 | NHA 20 | DOV 12 | TAL 18 | KAN 9 | CLT 9 | MAR 11 | ATL 17 | TEX 13 | PHO 20 | HOM 37 | 21st | 3667 |
| 2006 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 20 | Chevy | DAY | CAL | LVS | ATL | BRI | MAR | TEX | PHO | TAL | RCH | DAR | CLT | DOV QL$^†$ | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | CHI | NHA | POC | IND | GLN | MCH | BRI | CAL | RCH | NHA | DOV | KAN | TAL | CLT | MAR | ATL | TEX | PHO | HOM | NA | - |
| 2007 | Yates Racing | 88 | Ford | DAY 26 | CAL 27 | LVS 30 | ATL 26 | BRI 38 | MAR 13 | TEX 33 | PHO 26 | TAL 33 | RCH 37 | DAR 26 | CLT 7 | DOV 39 | POC 27 | MCH 22 | SON 11 | NHA 30 | DAY 31 | CHI 21 | IND 24 | POC 13 | GLN 38 | MCH 33 | BRI 38 | CAL 40 | RCH | NHA | DOV | KAN | TAL | CLT 11 | MAR 27 | ATL 17 | TEX 15 | PHO 35 | HOM 21 | 33rd | 2622 |
| $^†$ - Qualified for Tony Stewart |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

##### Daytona 500

| Year | Team | Manufacturer | Start | Finish |
| 1976 | Al Rudd Auto | Chevy | DNQ | DNQ |
| 1977 | Al Rudd Auto | Chevy | 21 | 22 |
| 1978 | Al Rudd Auto | Chevy | 36 | 37 |
| 1979 | Donlavey Racing | Mercury | 11 | 31 |
| 1981 | DiGard Motorsports | Olds | 5 | 3 |
| 1982 | Richard Childress Racing | Pontiac | 16 | 35 |
| 1983 | Richard Childress Racing | Chevy | 1 | 24 |
| 1984 | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 14 | 7 |
| 1985 | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 9 | 5 |
| 1986 | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 22 | 11 |
| 1987 | Bud Moore Engineering | Ford | 31 | 9 |
| 1988 | King Racing | Buick | 27 | 17 |
| 1989 | King Racing | Buick | 36 | 19 |
| 1990 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevy | 19 | 4 |
| 1991 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevy | 9 | 9 |
| 1992 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevy | 8 | 40 |
| 1993 | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevy | 12 | 30 |
| 1994 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 20 | 8 |
| 1995 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 18 | 13 |
| 1996 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 10 | 9 |
| 1997 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 13 | 9 |
| 1998 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 40 | 42 |
| 1999 | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 29 | 30 |
| 2000 | Yates Racing | Ford | 2 | 15 |
| 2001 | Yates Racing | Ford | 30 | 4 |
| 2002 | Yates Racing | Ford | 9 | 38 |
| 2003 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 5 | 15 |
| 2004 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 16 | 18 |
| 2005 | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 11 | 24 |
| 2007 | Yates Racing | Ford | 2 | 26 |

#### Late Model Sportsman Series

NASCAR Late Model Sportsman 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 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | NLMC | Pts | Ref |
| 1983 | Zervakis Racing Team | 01 | Olds | DAY | RCH | CAR | HCY | MAR | NWS | SBO | GPS | LGY | DOV 1 | BRI | CLT | SBO | HCY | ROU | SBO | ROU | CRW | ROU | SBO | HCY | LGY | IRP | GPS | BRI | HCY | | | | | | | | | | 65th | 311 | |
| 1983 | Zervakis Racing Team | 01 | Pontiac | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DAR 31 | RCH | NWS | SBO | MAR | ROU | CLT 34 | HCY | MAR | 65th | 311 | |

### International Race of Champions

(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)
International Race of Champions results :
| Year | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Pos. | Pts |
| 1992 | Dodge | DAY 2* | TAL 3 | MCH 3 | MCH 2 | 1st | 68.5 |
| 1993 | Dodge | DAY 5* | DAR 5 | TAL 4 | MCH 7 | 4th | 49 |
| 1995 | Dodge | DAY 4 | DAR 11 | TAL 8 | MCH 10 | 10th | 28 |
| 1996 | Pontiac | DAY | TAL | CLT | MCH 10 | NA | 0 |
| 2001 | Pontiac | DAY 2 | TAL 4 | MCH 10 | IND 6 | 6th | 45 |