rpm.espn.com: Title within Rudd's reach?

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Monday, February 4
Title within Rudd's reach?
ESPN.com

We asked our users where they saw Rudd finishing in the standings in 2002 and what would it take to push Rudd over the top and to the championship. Here are some of the comments:

Ricky Rudd should be in the top-5 for the 2002 season, heck, he could take the Cup title if the Fords could get a nose extension, too!

Paul Olson
Vancouver, Wash.

I believe Rudd has a championship in him. The two wins he had last year were a huge boost to a team that had come so close on so many occasions. I think he will have to avoid the bad luck he had last year to really challenge for the title. If he can muster a few more wins this year, he has a shot.

Chris Cornett
Concord, Mass.

Ricky should finish top-3 this year. If not for equipment failures he could have possibly won the championship. I cant see that happening to a Robert Yates car two years in a row.

Roger Byrd
Cincinnati

I believe that if Ricky's back is 100 percent at the start of the season, then he will win the championship. His driving style and consistency are what is needed to win a Cup in today's NASCAR. Ricky is a genuinely nice guy and really deserves the sweet taste of a title. A championship would lock Rudd into one of those "legend" spots that drivers like Elliott, Waltrip, B. Allison, etc. fit into. He will never be one of the "Greatest" (i.e. Petty, Earnhardt, Pearson, and, dare I say, Gordon) because few will. But with his track record of finishes, wins, and consistency, he would have to be considered with that pack.

Shane Burton
West Lafayette, Ind.

I think behind Gordon, Rudd has the strongest car and he is a talented driver. If he catches some breaks and Gordon falters, Rudd could win it all, but I think the more likely scenario is a second place finish behind Gordon.

Shawn Halahan
Rochester N.Y.

I think Ricky Rudd will take another top-10, possibly another top-5 in points. If it weren't for his points free fall at the end of last season, he would have been a solid number two. But Ricky Rudd is still one of the best drivers on the circuit. He and teammate Dale Jarrett provide one of the best one-two punches in all of motorsports. They have the best equipment and a wealth of knowledge in both teams, both drivers, and not to mention the best engine builder on the circuit. For Ricky Rudd to contend for a championship, he needs to do the same thing he did last season, up until the last month or so of the season.

Matt Demey
Harrisburg, Pa.

He will probably finish in the top-8 this year. Too many guys like Earnhardt, Stewart, Gordon, and Harvick are going to beat him. It doesn't help that he's in a Ford or that he can't even race his own teammate clean. And don't forget, the master at taking people out of races, Rusty Wallace, has Rudd in his sights! It will take a whole speedway full of luck and NASCAR to ban GM cars from competing to push him over the top to win the championship.

Roy Thweatt
Las Vegas

I think Ricky Rudd needs to be more aggressive. He his a great driver with a mean machine to get him there! I like his chances in 2002 even though he had back surgery. He will win the whole thing!

Gary Pelletier
Lubbock, Texas

I think Rudd will finish somewhere between the 7th and 11th spot. He had his big shot last year and this team has peaked.

Ed Daly
Boston

Rudd will win the championship this year! He has the car, the sponsor and the money to do so. Last year's bad luck will not happen again. Rudd may need to get a little rough with Jeff Gordon to win the title.

Kevin Love
Galax, Va.

	Driver Spotlight: Ricky Rudd Winston Cup off-season driver spotlight index