Ricky Rudd

Ricky Rudd, nicknamed "The Rooster," is a former American NASCAR driver. Rudd is known as the "Iron man" of NASCAR, a title given to him for holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788 consecutive starts. He retired in 2007 with 23 career wins under his belt. 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.

He is also remembered as one of the "Tide ride" drivers as well as for winning a race in 16 consecutive seasons. Through the 2004 season, Rudd has a total of 23 wins, 192 top 5's and 364 top 10's. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Ricky Rudd, apart from his 23 Cup Series victories, is the fact that Rudd's first time in a stock car was in 1975 at North Carolina Speedway. He was practicing for his Cup Series debut. Incidentally, Rudd made that race and finished 11th. Rudd's racing career started at the age of 9. He ran go-karts and motocross through his teens. His Cup Series career began in 1975 with four starts for owner Bill Champion.

His reputation as a championship-caliber driver started to come together in 1977, when he ran 25 races for his father. During that first campaign, Rudd garnered one top-5 and 10 top-10 finishes en route to rookie of the year honors. Rudd would start 160 Cup races before taking his first victory in 1983 at Riverside Raceway. He won again later that year in Martinsville. Those victories would start a stretch in which Rudd won at least one Cup Series race for each of the next 16 seasons, a Cup Series record Rudd shares with Rusty Wallace.