Ricky Rudd said he plans to retire from the NASCAR Nextel Cup series after this season.
The 50-year-old Rudd, in his 28th season as a full-time driver in the Cup series, told the Virginian Pilot that he has informed car owner Robert Yates of his decision to step out of the No. 88 car.
“It’s time for me to step back from the active schedule,” Rudd told the newspaper Saturday at Michigan Speedway.
Rudd took last season off, though he never called it retirement. He said he’d consider a part-time ride for next season, but he’s not pursuing it.
Rudd started in the front row for the Daytona 500 this season but finished 26th, and his results haven’t gotten much better since. His best finish was seventh in the Coca-Cola 600 and he’s 29th in points heading into the Michigan race.
Rudd has 23 victories in his career and his 897 Cup starts are second only to Richard Petty.
A steady rain forced NASCAR to postpone the 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race in Brooklyn, Mich., until today.
With more rain in the forecast, though, there is the possibility that the drivers will not get on track again until Tuesday morning – or even later.
Asked what would happen if the race could not be run this week, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said: “Although we certainly hope to get it in, and plan to get it in this week, if we had to move it, the race would be scheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving, making it the last race on the schedule.”
NHRA: Rain forced the postponement of the final eliminations at the NHRA Nationals in Mohnton, Pa., until today.
