CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards both left NASCAR after their driving careers ended, they disappeared from the sport, going years before returning to the track.
Friday night, it was as if they hadn’t left.
Both basked in the celebration of their induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame at the Charlotte Convention Center. Rudd and Edwards were joined in the Class of 2025 by Ralph Moody, the famed car builder.
Edwards was inducted by his mother Nancy Sterling.
“Tonight is about gratitude,” Edwards said in his speech after thanking the sport for embracing him when he was in the sport and when he returned last year. Edwards went on to thank family members, team members and the sport for their support throughout his driving career.
“Thank you for making me a part of your family,” Edwards said at the end of his speech. “Thank you NASCAR.”
Rudd was inducted by his son Landon and spoke about his journey to this moment.
“With the help of a lot great people I was able to chase my dreams and with tonight’s induction that dream is now complete,” Rudd said.
Their speeches were witnessed by 16 NASCAR Hall of Fame members. In attendance were: Donnie Allison, Chad Knaus, Kirk Shelmerdine, Red Farmer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joe Gibbs, Waddell Wilson, Ron Hornaday Jr., Ray Evernham, Richard Childress, Terry Labonte, Jerry Cook, Leonard Wood, Rusty Wallace, Dale Inman and Richard Petty.
Edwards, with the help of Joe Gibbs Racing, flew several people from Missouri to share this experience.
“I’m not missing this opportunity to celebrate this,” Edwards said on the red carpet ahead of his induction. “You guys saw a lot of backflips. You saw me celebrate, but one of the things I screwed up in my career is I took pride in not internally celebrating.
“I said, ‘I’m going to win. I’m going to be happy for a minute and I’m done’ and then I’d move on like a machine and that was wrong. When they said I could bring people, I said we’re going to make sure this is fun. We’re going to make sure there’s a real celebration.”
Rudd relished the night for all those he got to see.
“It just feels good to see everybody again,” Rudd said on the red carpet ahead of his induction.
Rudd, Edwards and Moody are the 15th class in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. They are inductees No. 65, 66, and 67.
Edwards is the second driver in the Hall whose Cup debut came in the 2000s, joining Jimmie Johnson (Class of 2024)
Edwards made his Cup debut in August 2004 at Michigan. He finished 10th.
Edwards went on to win 28 Cup races — including the Southern 500 and Coca-Cola 600 — and 72 total races in NASCAR’s top three series. He also won the 2007 Xfinity championship and finished runner-up for the Cup crown twice, including 2011 when he lost the championship to Tony Stewart on a tiebreaker.
Rudd was known as NASCAR’s Ironman for starting 788 consecutive races — a record he held until Jeff Gordon broke it in 2015. Rudd won 23 wins, scoring at least one Cup victory for 16 consecutive seasons. Among his victories was the 1997 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was the 1977 Cup Rookie of the Year.
Moody formed with John Holman in 1957 to form Holman-Moody Racing. The team, which competed through 1973, won championships with David Pearson in 1968 and ’69 and won the Daytona 500 with Mario Andretti. The team collected 96 wins and 83 poles.
Dr. Dean Sicking, who invented the SAFER barrier used at tracks throughout motorsports, was presented the Landmark Award for his contributions to NASCAR.
Mike Harris, a longtime motorsports writer for The Associated Press was presented the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
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