YEAR-BY-YEAR NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES RECAP
2005 Finished 21st in series points
Posted two top-five finishes, including season-best finish of second-place at
Infineon Raceway.
Two weeks before 2005 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Rudd announced he was
taking a break from full-time competition.
2004 Finished 24th in series points.
Best finish was a second at Kansas City.
Best start was on the pole at
Talladega in April.
Finished in the top 20 in each of the final nine races of the season.
Reunited with former crew
chief Michael Fatback McSwain starting with the Bristol race in August.
2003 Finished 23rd in series points.
First finish out of the NASCAR Top 10 since 1999.
Best finish was a second
at New Hampshire in Sept.
Best start was a fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Was ninth in the
NASCAR Top 10 after finishing fourth at Bristol in March, but dropped out for good after finishing 26th at Texas at the
close of the month.
2002 Finished 10th in series points.
Started his 656th consecutive race at Lowes Motor Speedway (5/26), breaking
Terry Labontes record of 655 consecutive starts.
Announced in latter half of season plans to leave Robert Yates
Racing and move to Wood Brothers Racing in 2003.
Won road-course race at Infineon, for 23rd career victory.
Took pole for road race at Watkins Glen.
Cracked NASCAR Top 10 after seasons seventh race, stayed in top 10
for rest of season.
2001 Finished fourth in series points.
Ended 88-race winless streak with victory from the pole at Pocono in June,
first win since 1988 at Martinsville.
Also won Richmond fall race, taking lead with six laps remaining.
Topped
$3 million in season winnings for first time with career high $4,878,027.
2000 Finished fifth in series points.
First season with Robert Yates Racing after six years of owning own team.
Failed to win a race for second consecutive season.
Won a Daytona 500 125-mile qualifying race.
Seasonbest
finish was second at Michigan in August.
Had five top-five runs in six-race span in September and October to
reach top five in the series standings.
Took poles at Las Vegas and Indianapolis.
Finished in NASCAR Top 10 for
17th time.
1999 Finished 31st in series points.
Announced in late season plans to sell team and start driving in 2000 for Robert
Yates Racing in the No. 28 Ford.
Sold race shop to Yates; shop became home of No. 28.
1998 Finished 22nd in series points.
Recorded a victory at Martinsville in September, which extended string of consecutive
seasons with a victory to 16.
Made 600th career start.
1997 Finished 17th in series points.
Got two victories in a season for the first time since 1987, winning at Dover
and Indianapolis.
1996 Finished sixth in series points.
Recorded a win at Rockingham in October.
Also had two second-place finishes.
1995 Finished ninth in series points.
Won at Phoenix in October.
Six DNFs hurt chances for higher finish in series
standings.
1994 Finished fifth in series points.
First season as owner-driver.
Had 15 top-10 finishes including a victory at
New Hampshire.
1993 Finished 10th in series points.
Last season with Hendrick Motorsports; announced in summer plans to start
own team beginning in 1994.
One victory, at Michigan.
1992 Finished seventh in series points.
Victory at Dover fall race marked 10th consecutive season with at least one
victory.
Had 18 top-10 finishes.
1991 Finished second in series points.
Was topped in final standings by Dale Earnhardt, who won fifth championship.
Made strong late-season charge to end 195 points behind Earnhardt; with eight races remaining in season,
was ninth in points standings.
Won at Darlington in the spring.
1990 Finished seventh in series points.
First season with Hendrick Motorsports.
Won road-course race at
Watkins Glen.
Had poles at the Richmond spring race and the road race at Infineon.
1989 Finished eighth in series points.
Second and last season with Kenny Bernsteins team. Won road race at
Infineon.
1988 Finished 11th in series points.
First season with King Racing Team owned by drag-racing legend Kenny
Bernstein.
Won road race at Watkins Glen.
Had three second-place finishes
Had two poles, at Martinsville
spring race and Riverside.
1987 Finished sixth in series points.
Two victories, at Atlanta spring race and Dover fall race.
Last season with
Bud Moore Engineering.
1986 Finished fifth in series points.
Two victories, at Martinsville spring race and Dover fall event.
Had four runner-
up efforts.
1985 Finished sixth in series points.
Had 19 top-10 finishes, including victory at Riverside.
1984 Finished seventh in series points.
First season with Bud Moore Engineering.
Won Richmond fall race, and
had four poles.
1983 Finished ninth in series points.
Won at Riverside on June 5, for first career victory, in his 161st start.
Won
second race in September at Martinsville.
Took pole for Daytona 500.
Had four poles overall and five secondfast
qualifying efforts.
1982 Finished ninth in series points.
First of two seasons with Richard Childress Racing.
Had two second-place
finishes.
Poles at Martinsville and Dover fall races.
1981 Finished sixth in series points.
Joined DiGard Racing
Got first career pole, at Martinsville on April 24.
Also took poles at Nashville and Dover.
1980 Finished 35th in series points.
Ran 13 races with father Al Rudd Jr.s team.
Gained attention by qualifying
second and finishing fourth, at Charlotte fall race.
1979 Finished ninth in series points.
Ran 28 races for Junie Donlavey.
Season highlighted by two third-place
finishes.
1978 Finished 31st in series points.
Ran 13 races with fathers team. ... Four top-10 finishes highlighted season.
1977 Finished 17th in series points.
Named Raybestos Rookie of the Year.
Ran 25 races with fathers team.
1976 Finished 53rd in series points.
Ran four races with fathers team, one top-10 finish.
1975 Finished 47th in series points.
Ran four races for Bill Champion.
Made NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut
March 2 at Rockingham, finishing 11th.
PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY
Started racing at age of nine; raced in motocross and go-karts as a teenager.
Prior to his debut weekend in March
1975 at Rockingham, had never driven a stock car.
NOTEWORTHY
Inducted into Virginia Sports Hall of Fame
Named Virginian of the Year in 2006 by the Virginia Press Association
.
Father Al Rudd Jr. owned an auto salvage business, which led to an interest in cars and racing.
Owns a classic
1932 Ford Deuce Coupe.
With 19 finishes in the NASCAR Top 10, Rudd is third on the NASCAR All-Time Top 10,
behind only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. His 19 finishes in the NASCAR Top 10 leads active drivers.