NASCAR's Ricky Rudd to Retire Veteran Nextel Cup driver will hit the pits after 2007 season By Joseph Fasano, Newser User Posted Aug 20, 2007 12:19 AM CDT Copied NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd pushes his car with members of his crew into the garage during practice for the Autism Speaks 400 auto race at Dover Speedway in Dover, Del., Friday, June 1, 2007. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (Associated Press) Veteran NASCAR driver Ricky Rudd will retire from his full-time Nextel Cup duties at the end of this season. Rudd, who has chalked up 23 wins in a 32-year career, may make occasional starts in future years, but said he wants to give his team plenty of time to find a replacement. "The time commitment is something I'm not willing to put in," said Rudd, 50, whose career included a record 788 consecutive starts. He said he's looking forward to "being a bit lazy for a while." All he wants is to be remembered "as a guy who always gave 120 percent," said No. 88. (More NASCAR stories.) Report an error