CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ricky Rudd, whose grit led him to be the sport’s original Ironman, was selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025 in the eighth year of being a nominee Tuesday.
Rudd will be joined by Carl Edwards from the Modern Ballot.
Ralph Moody, who was the Moody in the Holman-Moody team that dominated in the sport’s early years and had Mario Andretti win the 1967 Daytona 500 in one of his cars, was selected on Pioneer ballot.
This is the 15th NASCAR Hall of Fame class. The trio will be inducted Feb. 7, 2025.
There are 63 voters and an online ballot from fans. A NASCAR spokesperson told NBC Sports that only votes by those in attendance were counted. According to a photo of the voters released by NASCAR on social media, there were 47 voters present. With the fan ballot, that would make 48 ballots.
Rudd received 87% of the Modern Era ballots. Edwards received 52% of the Modern Era ballots. Harry Gant finished third, followed by Jeff Burton and Harry Hyde.
The fan vote had Edwards and Gant for the Modern Era and Ray Hendrick for the Pioneer Era.
Moody was listed on 60% of the Pioneer Era ballots.
Rudd made his Cup debut at age 18 in 1975 at Rockingham. His 906th and final Cup start came in 2007. He held the record for consecutive starts of 788 before Jeff Gordon broke it in 2005.
Rudd collected 23 wins, including the 1997 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and won 29 poles.
As for Rudd’s indomitable spirit that kept him in the car year after year despite injuries or ailments, Rudd thought nothing of it. It was what his heroes, A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty and the Allisons, did.
“Those were the guys that I looked at as being tough,” Rudd said Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “I did some things that maybe some guys wouldn’t do getting back in the car when you’re pretty injured. ... I didn’t feel that I did anything any differently than the group in front of me, those guys a generation in front of me. I just tried to emulate what they did and didn’t know any different.”
How did Rudd find out he had been selected?
“Well, actually I was raking leaves around swimming pool equipment because a guy was late getting the cover off the pool. ... I was getting leaves up trying not to get bitten by a snake,” he said.
Edwards, who gained fame with his smile, backflips after wins and success on track, finished second twice in the points and won 28 Cup races. He also won 38 Xfinity races and one series championship.
Edwards tied Tony Stewart on points in 2011 but Stewart won the championship via a tiebreaker based on most wins in what was then called the Chase.
The Landmark Award winner for outstanding contribution to NASCAR goes to Dr. Dean Sicking, among the creators of the SAFER barrier, which helped save the lives of countless drivers.
Modern Era Ballot (2 selected to Hall of Fame)
Greg Biffle, 2000 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion and 2002 Xfinity Series champion
Neil Bonnett, won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories
Tim Brewer, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Jeff Burton, won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s
Randy Dorton, built engines that won nine championships across NASCAR’s national series
Carl Edwards, winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion
Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories
Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief
Ricky Rudd, won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400
Jack Sprague, three-time NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion
Pioneer Ballot (1 selected to Hall of Fame)
Ray Hendrick, won over 700 times in NASCAR Modified and Late Model Sportsman
Banjo Matthews, built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships
Ralph Moody, two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody
Larry Phillips, first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion
Bob Welborn, three-time Convertible Division champion
