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NASCAR WCUP: Rudd to Make 650th Career Start at Bristol

27 August 1999

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina,-- Tide acing Team driver Ricky Rudd will make his 650th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series start Saturday night in the Goody's 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Rudd's career began in March, 1975 at North Carolina Motor Speedway in the Carolina 500 where he started twenty-sixth and finished eleventh. Ricky currently ranks seventh among all drivers in total starts and should move up to sixth after the New Hampshire 300 in September passing the late J.D. McDuffie who had 653 starts.

"It's hard to believe it's gone by this quickly," Rudd said. "I started my first Winston Cup race right when I graduated high school, so I grew up in this sport. I guess you could say the sport kind of raised me. Six hundred fifty is a lot of races and has made for a lot of good memories. I still plan to drive for many years to come so I hope there will be some more good memories to add." Among current drivers, only Dave Marcis, (859 starts), and Darrell Waltrip, (773 starts) rank ahead of Rudd in this category. This Saturday's event will also mark Rudd's 562nd consecutive Winston Cup start, in which he ranks third behind Terry Labonte and Dale Earnhardt.

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