rpm.espn.com: Ricky Rudd

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Monday, January 27
Updated: February 4, 3:39 PM ET

Ricky Rudd
By Jerry Bonkowski
ESPN.com

Team: Wood Brothers Racing
Car/sponsor/make: No. 21 Motorcraft Ford

Ricky Rudd
Rudd

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Best finish

2002 10 1 8 12 1st, Sonoma, Calif.

Career 23 187 356 1st, 23 times

2002 recap
The good: Despite a tumultuous swan song in his final season with Robert Yates Racing, Rudd still managed to finish 10th in the standings. To finish as high as he did, despite the in-house fighting and bitterness that continued to grow once the team announced Rudd was being replaced for 2003 by Elliott Sadler, is a testament to Rudd's professionalism and ability.

Season highlight: Rudd's only win of the season came on the road course at Sonoma, Calif. Of his 23 career wins, six have been on road courses. Another highlight was his lone pole of the year, on the other road course on the schedule, at Watkins Glen, N.Y., a race in which he ultimately finished fifth.

The bad: It's always disappointing to see a team go through breaking-up pains before a season ends, and what happened with Rudd was one of the worst in recent memory. Among the most glaring low points: Rudd had several run-ins with former crew chief Michael McSwain, and also alleged that team owner Robert Yates was not giving him equipment that was as competitive as that used by teammate Dale Jarrett, a charge Yates emphatically denied.

Season lowlight: After finishing fifth at Watkins Glen and 12th at Michigan in consecutive races in August, Rudd climbed to sixth in the points and was poised to make a move into the top-five. Unfortunately, over the next four races, he lost one spot after each event, ultimately leaving Loudon, N.H. in 10th, with any hopes of still challenging for the title all but gone.

Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd left Robert Yates Racing after the 2002 season for the Wood Brothers.

Key stat: Rudd had an outstanding year when it came to qualifying. In 36 races, he qualified in the top-10 nearly half the time, with four top-five starts -- including that pole at Watkins Glen.

2003 outlook
What needs to be done: As Rudd begins his 27th season, 2003 finds the veteran with a new team, a new outlook and potentially a new lease on life. What's more, as the Wood Brothers' only driver, Rudd will be the team's sole focus, which means all resources will be spent on making him and the No. 21 Ford as competitive as possible. Not having a teammate may have a downside when it comes to sharing data, but the veteran status of both Rudd and the team should compensate for that.

Prediction: After finishing fifth, fourth and 10th for Yates in 2000-02, Rudd will write a new chapter of his career this season. The Wood Brothers have the wherewithal to give Rudd a strong team, and Rudd can do the rest. He could become the surprise of 2003: while many have already written him off, he still has enough gas in his tank to finish in the top-15, if not the top-10.

Your take
Here are your thoughts on Rudd's prospects for the 2003 season. Will he succeed or struggle with the Wood Brothers?

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