Carl Edwards, Ricky Rudd walked away from Nascar but their reunion would be at Hall of Fame

Charlotte, NC (AP) Carl Edwards and Ricky Rudd have very little overlap in their respective Nascar careers.

Edwards first entered the Elite Cup series in 2004 67 races before Rudd ended his 32-year career-so that the two never had a chance to know each other.

But two things bind Edwards and Rudd to each other – when everyone decided to step out, both of the Nascar scene disappeared, and on Friday night they would return to their old race community as inducers of the Nascar Hall of Fame.

Edwards and Rudd are celebrated on Friday night as the latest members of the Nascar Hall of Fame.

Rudd made his first appearance in 2024 when Roger Penke tried to make all living Indianapolis car Speedway winners for a photo on the track to celebrate to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Brickyard. Many of his former participants were shocked to see him on the garden of bricks; It was the first time most Rudd has seen since its final cup series in 2007.

Rudd, who is not going to the racetrack because he does not feel that there is a role or reason for him to be there, told The Associated Press he was surprised by the warm reception he received from Indianapolis that day .

“Think of it, we went to 30 races, went to the same villages, stayed the same – we called it the ‘trailer park’ – it’s like moving out of a neighborhood,” says Rudd, whose victory in the Brickyard in 1997 was one of the 23 wins in the Career Cup.

“And you come back to that neighborhood and there are many celebrities. As he walked through the garage at Indy, it was really neat to reconnect with many of the guys again. “

Edwards suddenly retired after the 2016 season, at the age of 36, after losing a second opportunity to win a cup championship with a controversial final season. He told the AP that he did not call it a retirement at the time because he left himself room to take only a year break.

But just like Rudd, Edwards left Nascar in his rear -view mirror. He was in the wind until he was named one of the 75 largest drivers of Nascar, an event celebrated in 2023 at Darlington Raceway. Edwards joined the Fox Sports Television Booth for part of the day’s race – where he was a spectacular broadcaster – and caught the audience about what he has done for the past seven years.

And just like Rudd, he was surprised by the reception.

“I understand when people say” Nascar is a family, “Edwards told the AP. “I finally get it. I do. When I walked away, I really thought ‘I gave it up completely. I give the sport, the opportunity to manage and praise a lot of friendships. “I’m shocked that Nascar invited me again in this way. For the first time, I really feel like it’s part of a family. ‘

Neither Edwards nor Rudd won a cup title, but they left unforgettable marks on Nascar.

Rudd was one of the hardest drivers of all time – he used a tire to keep his swollen and bruised eyes open to ensure he would not miss the Daytona 500 after sustaining serious injuries the week before – and his 788 consecutive cup began a long -time Nascar record was broken by Jeff Gordon’s 797.

But what else would you expect from Rudd, who was one of the five children in Chesapeake, Virginia, a self-proclaimed ’emergency room-regular’. He pretended to be Superman when he jumped off the roof when he was 5 was the only child in the city that was riding a pony in his backyard, and was so determined to do all the dangerous actions that His friends were afraid to do, he thought he would one day be a Hollywood stuntman.

Instead, he found his way to Nascar. He generally ran for small teams, for big teams, his own team – 10 different owners. Rudd was one of the best races of his time and earned six of his wins, including The Brickyard, for Rudd Performance Motorsports.

Rudd was the 1977 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, finished a best second in points in 1991 and achieved at least one win in 16 consecutive seasons, linked to the third longest line in the history of the Cup series.

“You set out your goals and it was” trying to win every race, “Rudd said. “I didn’t really look at the big picture, so my career goal was always just to win every race I could.”

Edwards has entered Nascar at his financial boom – perhaps the hardest time in history to break into the sport. Edwards was a substitute teacher who was trying to be a driver and handed out business cards on the tracks: “If you are looking for a manager, you are looking for me.”

Jack Roush gave him his break and Edwards climbed from trucks, to the Xfinity series and finally a cup, as he captivated the audience with a setback of his winning car.

He once ran across the finish line at Talladega Superspeedway just to finish the event after his car sailed on the last round in the fence when he chased Brad Keselowski for the win.

On the track, he finally left Roush to join Joe Gibbs Racing for a better chance of winning an elusive cup title. He lost the 2011 Cup in a heartbreaking binder against Tony Stewart. And he led the final in 2016 when a dubious late caution set a final restart and Edwards was destroyed.

And then he stopped.

Edwards simply walked away from a career that produced 72 wins over the three national series, and included 28 in a cup and the Coca-Cola 600 and the Southern 500. But he also had two of the cruelest championships, both in Nascar’s play -off system.

Edwards occasionally appears rescue and repairs in his home state Missouri, where he will work for public office for a long time and do not exclude it. He has never been completely transparent about why he truly left Nascar – some would never be convinced that it was because he felt Nascar cheated on two titles – but he had always been an extremely private and Stay as he goes to the Hall of Fame.

He does not offer much about how he spends his days, he just says he is busy, and prefers to talk broader about his career and current life. He says he plans to be with the cut in 2025, and that he would be interested in television work.

One thing that Edwards, who is a pilot, has revealed is that he has become a serious sailor and that he has led his own ship abroad. For the past three years, he has built a boat that he plans to sail all over the world with his family.

He is truly satisfied.

“I thought earlier that I worked very hard and did all these things, and it was because of all my dedication and perseverance,” Edwards said. “The more I see at the age of 45, after living a little more of life, it’s just that I was the most blessed person early. All the pieces fell in place to do something I was just dreaming about. I really realize just how happy I am. ‘