THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410230180
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED HARDIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKINGHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
When the cheers turn to boos on the Winston Cup circuit, the driver sometimes is the last to know why.
In an age of marketed images, honed by public relations people and press releases, the competitors sometimes have little say in how the public perceives them.
That hasn't always been the case with Ricky Rudd. The 38-year-old Chesapeake native has handled his own public relations, sometimes with a fender.
When Rudd is introduced at the North Carolina Motor Speedway before today's AC-Delco 500, he will hear his share of cheers. But he likely will hear more boos than he's heard in a while. Two weeks ago at Charlotte, Rudd became a villain in a lot of eyes.
``I can't help what people think of what happened at Charlotte,'' Rudd said. ``They know I've been racing for 20 years. They know what kind of driver I am.''
Rudd will hear boos from a lot of Jeff Gordon's fans, fans he lost at Charlotte when he sent both his and Gordon's car sliding into the wall during the Mello Yello 500. That incident has been talked about all week, and Rudd, who lost an appeal of the three-race probation and the $10,000 fine that ensued, is ready to put it behind him.
``We had our talk, and we told NASCAR our side,'' Rudd said Friday after winning the pole for today's race. ``They didn't like what I had to say, apparently.''
Rudd has been here before.
His 1984 crash in the Busch Clash was one of the most harrowing ever at Daytona, an upside-down flight through the tri-oval that left him injured and cast doubt on his future in the sport. He raced the following week with his eyes taped open, and a week later he won the Pontiac 400 at Richmond. That incident stamped Rudd as of of the toughest drivers on the tour.
When Rudd came to Winston Cup racing 1975, he had little more than go-karting experience on his resume. In 1977 he won the Rookie of the Year title with his dad Al as car owner, brother A.J. as crew chief and big sister Carolyn as public relations director.
``We used to get one motel room and sleep seven or eight in a room,'' he said a few years back. ``I can't tell you how many times we've taken an engine apart and put it back together in the motel room.''
More than once, Rudd has had to put his career back together after celebrated incidents that would have finished other drivers.
More times than not, Rudd has handled the problems himelf - on the track.
In 1983 Rudd drew the ire of NASCAR when he slammed into Joe Ruttman on the cool-down lap at Martinsville, sending a message to the driver who had tried to wreck Rudd earlier.
Rudd got out of his car and walked the length of pit road with the frontstretch crowd giving him a thunderous response. Rudd, then 26, suddenly stopped, turned toward the crowd and took a full bow.
``I'm the kind of driver who will not back down,'' Rudd said this week. ``If I have to, you know I'll make a stand.''
His stands have been dramatic over the years. In 1989 he drew the wrath of Dale Earnhardt's fans at North Wilkesboro by refusing to give way to the Winston Cup points leader in a late-race duel. The crash cost both a shot at victory that day, and Earnhardt later said it cost him the 1989 Winston Cup championship.
``A lot of people are intimidated by that black car,'' Rudd said at the time. ``I'm not.''
In 1991 he was involved in one of the most controversial finishes in NASCAR history. On the final lap at Sears Point, he spun Davey Allison off the course and went on to cross the finish line first. By then, however, NASCAR had sent word to the starter not to wave checkered flag.
After a long discussion, Rudd was penalized 15 seconds and Allison was awarded the victory - the first time a Winston Cup had driver crossed the finish line first without being credited with the win.
At Charlotte two weeks ago, neither he nor Gordon finished. Gordon took Rudd high between the third and fourth turn late in the race, forcing Rudd to the wall. Rudd came back after the young driver in the frontstretch.
``I wanted to pay back a little message,'' Rudd said. ``The end result was not what was intended to happen.
``I misjudged his ability, and he wrecked. I intended to tell Jeff I didn't mean to wreck him.''
But Rudd also wanted the chance to tell his fans - and Gordon's - that he handled the situation as he saw fit.
``All the TV showed was Ricky Rudd pushing Jeff Gordon down the frontstretch,'' he said. ``It didn't show the incident up in three that precipitated everything. But I'm not going to let an incident like that ruin a good season.
``Ricky Rudd is not a guy looking for trouble, but if something needs settling, I try to settle it right then and there.''
Today, Rudd will try to settle things on a track where he admits he has been his own worst enemy at times. But he's also his own best PR man. If anyone's going to change Ricky Rudd's image, he's going to do it himself. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
``I'm the kind of driver who will not back down,'' Ricky Rudd says.
``If I have to, you know I'll make a stand.''
by CNB