“This is the highlight of everything”: Ricky Rudd shares unfiltered feelings on being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Former NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd made his feelings known about becoming a Hall of Fame inductee. While Rudd achieved several feats driving stock cars, he considered the induction the "highlight of everything."

Rudd is a 68-year-old Virginia native inducted into the Class of 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame. Nicknamed Ironman, the driver once held a record for most consecutive starts at 788. He also won 23 Cup races driving for various teams such as Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

Speaking with NASCAR's Alex Weaver, Rudd said the induction is the highlight of his three-decade-long racing career in the league.

"It's something special. I don't know how to word it because it is special, and you realize that. I've been fortunate to win some races but to me, this is the highlight of everything," Rudd stated.

Even during his early racing days, Ricky Rudd made an impression on the track as evidenced by the 1977 Rookie of the Year award. He was also once the title holder for the youngest driver to lock the pole position for the prestigious Daytona 500 at the age of 24 in 1981.

Rudd went on to deliver greater achievements in NASCAR, including a 16-year streak of winning at least one race in a season. He also ranked among the top 10 in the final championship standings for 19 seasons.

A championship would've further cemented his illustrious career but that day never came. One of his best seasons was in 1991, driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He finished second in the standings behind Dale Earnhardt Sr. who won his fifth of seven championships.

Ricky Rudd left the sport in 2007 with 23 wins, 194 top-5s, and 374 top-10s in the premier series. He was named one of NASCAR's 75 greatest drivers in 2023.

Ricky Rudd driving the No. 88 Ford in his final Cup Series race at Homestead in 2007 - Source: Imagn

Rudd is one of the three inductees into the Class of 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame alongside Carl Edwards and Ralph Moody. The Blue Jacket ceremony was held in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday.

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NASCAR recalls Ricky Rudd entering Daytona 500 with eyes taped open

NASCAR recalled some of Ricky Rudd's career highlights as it welcomed the driver into the Hall of Fame. One of them was Rudd taping his eyes open for the 1984 Daytona 500 after a crash in an earlier race that shut his eyes.

In an Instagram post, NASCAR said:

"In the 1984 Busch Clash, Rudd suffered a harrowing crash, which caused several injuries and his eyes to swell shut. He literally taped his eyes open and raced in the Daytona 500."

Driving the No. 15 Ford for Bud Moore Engineering, Rudd qualified 14th in the 1984 Daytona 500. Despite sustaining injuries, the Virginia native finished seventh, with Cale Yarborough and Dale Earnhardt Sr. taking the top two positions, respectively.

The race reflected the now-Hall of Famer's toughness on the track that earned him the Ironman moniker.