| In 2000, Ricky Rudd joined Robert Yates Racing as the full-time driver of the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford. Rudd had signed on with Yates after a six-year stint as a car owner and driver in the NASCAR Cup Series and was eager to make his debut with his new team. Due to a pole win in 1999, Rudd was eligible for the 2000 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway which was a 25-lap exhibition race for pole position winners from the previous season. |
Rudd’s new teammate, Dale Jarrett began the shootout near the rear of the 15-car race but after ten laps when the rest of the field chose to pit, Jarrett decided to stay out on the track along with Bobby Labonte. Once the pit stops had cycled through, Rudd was in second while Jarrett was behind him in third as Sterling Marlin was the race leader. With two laps remaining, Jarrett caught up to Rudd along the back straightaway and as the duo began to exit Turn four, Jeff Gordon ran the high line to pass them. Jarrett was able to catch Gordon for the win, but the finish wasn’t as rewarding for Rudd.
Marlin and Labonte tapped into each other as they raced to the checkered flag and as they touched Labonte got loose and spun sideways in front of Rudd. Rudd careened off the wall coming out of Turn four and ended up flipping over onto his roof, sliding for about 600 feet before coming to a stop just short of the start/finish line.
"Coming off turn four, I couldn’t tell exactly what happened but I knew that somebody started checking up," explained Rudd of the events that led to his crash. "The guys in front of me got three-wide and I was back in fourth place at the time as we were all coming around to the finish. I started to move up into a hole in front of me and next thing I knew I was upside down."
After the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford came to a stop, Rudd was able to climb out of the car and was uninjured.
Memorable Moments:
661st Career Start; Rudd’s last career start as a NASCAR Cup Series car owner
The NAPA 500 on November 21, 1999 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Drove the #10 Tide Ford owned by Rudd Performance Motorsports for the final time Rudd started the race from 15th and finished in seventh Completed all 325 laps at the 1.5-mile speedway Won a total of $61,955
2000: Rudd joins Robert Yates Racing
Became the driver of the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford Recorded one win in 2000 in the Gatorade Twin 125 Qualifiers for the Daytona 500 Rudd also finished fifth in the final NASCAR Cup Series driver championship standings for the season
700th Career Start:
The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 on March 18, 2001 at Darlington Raceway Drove the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing Started the race from 10th and finished in eighth Completed all 293 laps Won a total of $71,187 Listed as sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings following the race
