CHESAPEAKE (WAVY) — It’s been quite the year for former NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd, having received his biggest honor when he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January, and Monday, he was the guest speaker at the Chesapeake Sports Club’s monthly luncheon.
“Chesapeake is still home even though we live north of Charlotte,” Rudd said. “Still got a lot of friends and family from this area and it’s great to be home.”
Rudd graduated from Indian River High School and made his NASCAR Cup debut in 1977 when he was 19-year-old.
He won 23 Cup races, recorded at least one win in 16 consecutive seasons and started a then-record 788 races in a row. He was NASCAR’s ironman.
Rudd got his start in motorsports by racing motorcycles and go-karts. Chesapeake did not have a dedicated go-kart track, so he and his dad Al would pack up their go-kart and race at a track at Langley Field.