The Furious Feuds of Ricky Rudd and Dale Earnhardt at North Wilkesboro

There were those in the Winston Cup garage once upon a time who were intimidated by Dale Earnhardt and his uber-aggressive style of racing.
In general, Ricky Rudd was not one of those timid souls ... in in particular at North Wilkesboro in the late 1980s. For two consecutive falls races, the two drivers, their crews and fans all but went to war.
This is Ricky's story.
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[@papasmodelcarroom8450]

Man I could listen to these old stories all day. Thank you 😊

[@larrycole4438]

Ricky Rudd was a class act .

[@racemom2737]

ask Jeff Gordon... charlotte 1994

[@DonHilliard-ek3co]

😊​@@racemom2737

[@kevinmckenzie7043]

I was in the stands at that '89 Wilkesboro race. Ricky was right: it was a near riot with people around shouting "We want Rudd blood!" I was on the backstretch next to the pit gate and saw McReynolds come out in the van (didn't know Ricky was in the back). Also saw Earnhardt's crew van leave with Shelmerdine driving and giving the fans the bird. Very memorable day!

[@domcorleone66]

Extremely memorable!! Eating Bojangles chicken in the parking lot talking about the race with a couple of guys from Pennsylvania. Great memories!!

[@jefferyrobertson7520]

Thanks For Uploading Rick And Steve

[@domcorleone66]

I was at the North Wilkesboro race in 89. Being a Kulwicki fan, I didn't care who would win. But it was one of the most exciting races I've ever been to!! It was incredible how many beer cans were raining down after the race. A sea of black and green on pit road. Because of this race, I was extremely disappointed when NASCAR pulled the races from North Wilkesboro. The short tracks were championship defining races back then.

[@sheikfrankicechibu1827]

Thankyou!!! Saw Rudd win The Rock '96, Martinsville '98 and RIR '01

[@RooneyMac]

That day at Rockingham in 96 was one fucked up day for the pit crew yea?

[@sudsysutherland359]

I always liked Ricky “The Rooster” Rudd especially when he drove the iconic Robert Yates Ford T-Bird with the big “Yates” horse power & he came close to winning a handful of championships but they didn’t happen just like Mark Martin. I remember when Kevin Harvick disrespected Ricky Rudd one race & when the race was done Ricky Rudd & Kevin Harvick were side by side coming down pit road until both of them stopped on pit road & both drivers got out of their cars to confront each other & Harvick was no slouch neither in terms of fighting but google eyed “Rooster” was so pissed at Harvick & if looks could kill Harvick would be in the Hospital 🏥 lol. I also remember when #10 Ricky Rudd drove the “Tide Ride” Ford which was his own team in which is not an easy thing to accomplish. Anyways Cheers🥂from Canada my fine American friends 🏁

[@Dupontman627]

The rivalry began in 1983 over a ride swap regarding Childress and Bud Moore

[@kevinmckenzie7043]

Ricky Rudd was my role model when I raced. He was a clean, smooth driver who got the most out of his equipment.

[@Dupontman627]

He won a race with his eyes taped open, pure badass moment

[@bourbontrail565]

Wonder what Mike Rich’s family thinks about him.

[@racemom2737]

@@bourbontrail565 lol wow

[@racemom2737]

He drove for Hendrick (top equipment) and then Yates and could barely win over two races. Man couldn't stick his finger up his behind. Ask Jeff Gordon about Rudd riding his bumper and spinning them out in 1994 at Charlotte.

[@tylerrobinson2074]

I always liked Ricky Rudd especially when he drove for Bud Moore and won that race at Richmond with his eyes having to be taped open

[@DS-ui4qy]

Ricky said it how a lot of people saw it. Dale was very, very good but at the same time was not a clean driver

[@Suzanne-t3l]

Old Dirty Dale.

[@johnniemoore2228]

That Richmond race where you took it back to Harvick, was good stuff man. Many Many times I really enjoyed watching race hard....TWO Thumbs for you RR

[@XBOXShawn12thman]

That Was Great!!!! 👍

[@jasonjackson5493]

The sport used to be full of guys like this

[@Steven-b5n]

NASCAR always let Dale Earnhardt get away with sh*t.

[@JoeMorella]

Nascar and GM were always thick as thieves to the point where if drove for another manufacturer, don’t expect any breaks from Nascar.

[@jimmieroan9881]

always been a fan of ricky, dale not so much.

[@latriciabailey8359]

I'm from Chesapeake, not a mile from Rudd's used auto parts. Chip Bailey.

[@michaelatkinson6730]

Ricky Rudd always found himself on the outside with the France Family. Ricky was the step kid that was too good to kick out of the family though.

[@gregjackson8133]

He was my favorite driver for probably 25 years or so very talented but for whatever reason he never caught the breaks when he drove the 28 car so many wins were right in front of him but something seemed to always happen

[@michaelatkinson6730]

@@gregjackson8133 Yes. He had the #28 running consistent. If I ain't mistaken he was top 10 all 3 years. In 2001 he was a threat for the championship. I wanna say he ended up 4th, with some bad luck down the stretch that ended the Championship bid.

[@racemom2737]

@@michaelatkinson6730 it wasnt bad luck it was just ricky being ricky he always faded down the stretch because he didn't have the stamina to keep up.

[@psinclairjr]

I really miss that era. Smart racers, if ya had a problem they just sorted it out. We have lionized Earnhardt because of Daytona, but anybody that watched back then knew Earnhardt was as dirty as they came, generational talent, but dirty

[@racemom2737]

He just raced hard. Stand up when you urinate! He ran every lap like it was his last.

[@vinewood8295]

That Wilkesboro race in 89 was costly seeing as how Dale lost that Cup to Rusty by only 12 points, I thought in all honesty he shoulda just let Rudd go BUT Dale was not a points racer, he tried to win every week...

[@racemom2737]

That's just it. There was no letting. Rudd went in there thinking to take him out. He gave Dale no chance to race him. Coward Rudd. The HOF lost some credibility letting Rudd in the Hall.

[@mjbuckeye3254]

Dale was a dirty racer, plain and simple. Rudd did not back down from his BS, Earnhardt always got a way with murder, special treatment

[@Suzanne-t3l]

​@@mjbuckeye3254Dale payed the price on 2/18/01.

[@extragoogleaccount6061]

Love Ricky Rudd. Dale without a mustache at that age looks so weird to me.

[@jesuschristislord6790]

Earnhardt lost the championship by 12 points that year. Its wild how close Earnhardt was to not a 8, but a NINE time champ. He lost in 89 by 12 and 34 in 1995.

[@TRIChuckles]

Dale played the bully game. But I enjoyed watching that era of racing. It also made for great TV. I was watching. Not so much anymore. Liked Rudd. So many. Maybe I'm old but I can't name five or six I really enjoy watching now. I did then .

[@Creek....123]

The man won sears point and they just took it from him. How many times did Earnhardt do the same thing and never too his win.

[@tupole272]

2 times in 76 wins Earnhardt made contact with someone on the last lap and went on to win.

[@racemom2737]

@@tupole272 Glad you brought this up. People assume Dale won every race by knocking someone out of the way which is BS. People assume he won 900% of his races, and 300% of his titles knocking someone out of the way. smh. He was knocked out of wins plenty. That BS at end of the 1993 Winston 500 calling a caution for a little sprinkles bunching the field up. He put a nasty move on Rusty and it should have been for the win. Nope. NASCAR showed more favoritism to others. Old meth head mayfield cost him a win too at pocono. He lost some he should have won boys.... There was contact with Terry Labonte at Bristol in '99 what other time are you talking about? In reality though Labonte knocked him pretty good coming to the white flag of that race so eye for an eye.

[@tupole272]

@@racemom2737 Dale was knocked out of the way for the win plenty. He’d have as many or more wins than Gordon if he hadn’t been

[@racemom2737]

@@tupole272 It would be closer for sure!

[@edmondcamp2878]

@@racemom2737 When Jeremy Mayfield knocked Dale out of the way at Pocono former race car driver Buddy Baker was guest hosting for MRN on the radio and as soon as Mayfield did that Buddy said that just goes to prove if you live by the sword you die by the sword.

[@jchayes7325]

One of my favorite races was at North Wilkesboro yeah I didn't like the outcome with Geoff Bodine winning but I did enjoy Ricky taking Dale out Ricky Rudd deserves to be in the Nascar Hall of Fame more than any other driver out there right now and I'm so glad he is going into the Nascar Hall of Fame he is the last true owner driver to win a race Tony Stewart don't count because Tony done it with Gene Haas Ricky Rudd did it by himself with no help from outside people except for his crew keep up the good work have a good one and God bless

[@racemom2737]

The Hall is now a joke that Rudd is in there. Has no business in there. couldn't stick his finger up his behind.

[@geraldbentley5781]

I was at the race would have backed Ricky all the way he should have won the race😊😊😊😊😊

[@thudtrades1850]

We use to raise hell in Al's salvage yard.... iykyk

[@cavemanballistics6338]

WHY did you not ask him about how much his fine should have been when he ran over the R/R tire changer on the 9 car in Atlanta,driving like a drunk.

[@waggitnshaggit6592]

Man Big E sure got favored by NASCAR.

[@vinewood8295]

If he was favored, they'd have put him back where he was before Rudd spun him in 88 & 89 at Wilkesboro & Dale would have at least one more Winston Cup.

[@waggitnshaggit6592]

@@vinewood8295 minus the one that Mark Martin was robbed of.

[@vinewood8295]

@@waggitnshaggit6592 Lol, second race of the season. NO ONE knew at the time how that would factor into championship PLUS Mark raced how many full Cup season's like WTF happened all those other years...???

[@ajgrooms7651]

Just remember Dale was god but let us not forget he and Pink Floyd got one thing in common last big hit was the Wall. Dale died preforming the biggest race manipulation ever and was made a hero for it. Now days teams get run out of the sport and crucified for try to work the race in their favor.

[@waggitnshaggit6592]

@@vinewood8295 what happened, France’s didn’t treat him like Earnhardt, look I like Dale , and Martin was maybe to clean,but Dale was kinda a winer punkass that certainly got favorable turn a blind eye from NASCAR cause fans were Drunk on Earnhardt and that spelled big money for NASCAR, so they did.

[@armani-ru3qx]

Jeff Gordon was earnhardt's daddy

[@racemom2737]

Gordon admitted from the mid to late 90's he had better cars than Dale in their rivalry documentary. Jimmie Johnson was Gordon's daddy. Who has more Cups??? Who has more IROC wins and titles (equal cars)? Yea.

[@Alex-dc5mx]

Dale 7 Jeff 4 Dale was Jeff's daddy little boy

[@JJA1987]

Earnhardt 7 >>> Gordon 4 so nope

[@jameswhiteside1506]

Earnhardt could dish it out but he couldn't take it.

[@edmondcamp2878]

Exactly

[@Alex-dc5mx]

Ur delusional 😂😂😂😂

[@racemom2737]

Cant blame him for not "taking" this bush league move. He took things like a man. if it was an eye for eye. richmond and rusty he loved rubbing with them.

[@user-Dr.]

That's not true at all, half the drivers out there were after him and he took it all in stride, there was an extreme jealousy by many drivers, he was just so damn good, Chastain now is much like it was for Dale back then, not real good cars, but incredible driving skills, then people like Hamlin and Busch and others doing all they can to hold him down, because they know if Ross breaks out, he won't be stopped.

[@edmondcamp2878]

@@user-Dr. He didn’t take Ricky Rudd in stride plus none of the old time drivers like Pearson, Petty, Yarborough etc. were jealous of him being they were more successful than he was. If anybody took anything it stride it was Terry Labonte. As far as not having good equipment in 1979 and 1980 he drove for multimillionaire Rod Osterland with legendary crew chief Jake Elder. Jake was a successful crew chief far several different drivers. Dale had Wrangler as a sponsor, he drove for a Ford for Bud Moore in 1982-83 with wrangler as a sponsor. Drivers like Buddy Baker won three consecutive races for Bud at Talladega in 1975-76. Bobby Allison won 13 races for Bud including the 1978 Daytona 500, the 1980 Firecracker 400 at Daytona and the 1979 Winston 500 at Talladega. So Dale was always in good equipment. A driver that could take a car that wasn’t handling all that good and still win in it was Cale Yarborough. Junior Johnson said the car didn’t have to be perfect for Cale he could take an ill handling car and still win with it that he’d never seen anything like it. From what I understand Dale was always hollering at his crew chiefs to get the car fixed because it didn’t handle to well. However I never said Dale wasn’t a good driver but he wasn’t as good as a lot people make him out to be a lot of people treat him like he parted the Red Sea but he was just a successful race car driver that a lot of people put on a pedestal when I’ve seen other drivers in person too that was as good or better than him but if you liked Dale that’s fine.

[@brandonenglund7516]

Almost don’t recognize Ricky, age is catching up with him. Always liked him. That deal at NW I put on Dale, looked to me like he tried to dive to the bottom and wasn’t clear helluva lot more than it looked like Ricky came up. Either way always loved when Dale got a taste of his own medicine. Boy did he piss and moan and cry when drivers dished out what he gave for years.

[@racemom2737]

Ricky he came up into him. He went so low of angle into the turn that he almost hit the pit wall. He knew what he was doing. And I never heard Earnhardt moan about anything unless it was warranted. He didn't say anything afterwards about when meth head Mayfield hit him.

[@sheikfrankicechibu1827]

12-4-A LOL

[@daleflinchum3244]

Chickenshit Earnhardt got his due that day done so by a much better race driver. Rudd always raced clean but he was not Nascar’s favorite son and it was very obvious that day. Great job Rudd!

[@RustyShackleford-kr2wf]

Earnhart was a lot of things, but chickenshit wasn’t one of them.

[@jasonwiggins]

​@@RustyShackleford-kr2wfYes he was. He ran from fights many times. When he took out Waltrip, he immediately left the track scared of Junior Johnson. When Rusty threw a water bottle in his face, all he would say was "call me tomorrow". When he took himself and Tim Richmond out, he stated himself that he saw Tim coming at him, and worried that Tim was going to kick his ass.

[@vinewood8295]

@@jasonwiggins Your gonna have to post some video proof of the stuff your spewin here. I don't know about the Junior Johnson & Tim Richmond incidents BUT for damn sure when Rusty threw that water bottle at him at Bristol in 1995, Earnhardt went after him & the officials kept them from getting together. That happened at the Bristol Night Race they keep replaying every year cause of how it ended with Dale & Terry Labonte. Dale & Rusty got together at least 2 times that night which resulted in Rusty's car gettin tore up & Dale being black flagged 2 different times BUT despite that he came back & STILL damn near won that race...

[@jasonwiggins]

@@vinewood8295 Lol. Gotta love someone demanding proof while supplying none from themself. I'm well aware of what happened during the Bristol night race. I'm also well aware of the video they always show. I'm also well aware of the video they don't show, including the bottle being thrown. Strange how they don't show that one. Rusty threw the bottle because of the NASCAR officials getting in the way. 100% fact, Dale was saying "call me tomorrow". Rusty stated that himself. The only time Dale "came at" Rusty was after the fact and they were walking together with officials between them. Rusty was still pissed and Dale was not, whatsoever, trying to go after him. Dale left the track immediately after he wrecked Waltrip. That's a fact. He left so quickly that the media couldn't catch up with him. Waltrip and others stated it was because he wanted nothing to do with Junior Johnson. If you knew anything about Junior, you would understand why Dale wanted none of it. Dale got into Tim at Pocono. He took both of them out. Dale hurt his leg. Dale said exactly what I wrote earlier. It's hilarious that you don't even believe his own words. Dale never did anything to Geoff Bodine when they were wrecking each other weekly. Bobby Allison gave him the nickname "Ironhead" because he was so hardheaded it was as hard as Iron. Bobby made fun of him many times and he did nothing about it. Dale did nothing when Richard Petty scolded him. Dale did nothing to Ricky Rudd. Dale did nothing to Bill Elliott except to complain on camera. Dale did nothing to Davey Allison. Dale did nothing to Jeremy Mayfield moving him out of the way. Gotta love the lies by the announcer's and the "one finger" salute even though the video clearly shows him pointing at him. This is a LONG list. By all means brag about Dale "fighting" some hunters on his property according to his son years after his death.

[@user-Dr.]

@@jasonwiggins Dale never ran from a fight, he would whip anybody that needed it, At Michigan one year after last practice, I was there in the infield, after the checkered Rusty hooked him into the wall, Dale had a car that was unbeatable that weekend till Rusty, he was the real dirty driver, he was like Denny today, anyway Earnhardt grabbed Rusty drug him behind the haulers and went to town, kick the liven sh*t out of him, I couldn't believe how strong Dale was, he handled him like a ragdoll, and Dale was man enough to take him out of the view of the fans, most fans anyway, gave my friend and I a big grin when he finished the job,

[@user-Dr.]

I've been racing my entire life, always for fun, from go carts, to motocross, motorcycle road racing, now at this point in my life I have settled into track day road racing with a Camaro built for road racing, I think the most fun any driver could ever have would be to race with Dale Earnhardt, I would have given anything to race with Dale, say what you want he is the best there ever was, he was more than just a driver, it was also a game to him.

[@EclecticHillbilly]

He couldn't have toted David Pearson's helmet.

[@user-Dr.]

@@EclecticHillbilly I'll bet he never did either.

[@racemom2737]

@@EclecticHillbilly Pearson couldn't wash Earnhardt's car. gtfo. Dale went up against more competition and there's no argument there. Pearson had to face 3-4 cars that had a shot at win, Earnhardt had to face about 10-15 per race. No comparison

[@edmondcamp2878]

Dale Earnhardt was the most overrated driver in NASCAR history. You can’t be the greatest driver ever if half your victories are tarnished. If you notice Earnhardt never messed with the old veterans like Pearson, Petty, Yarborough, The Allison Brothers, Buddy Baker,Benny Parsons.

[@Alex-dc5mx]

Ur delusional dale is the greatest ever rubbing is racing princess a real racer does anything to win

[@edmondcamp2878]

@@Alex-dc5mx He could dish it out but if somebody did it to him he cried like a baby. Just ask Ricky Rudd. Rubbing is racing but when you have to knock people out of to the way to compensate for lack of driving ability you’re not that good.

[@racemom2737]

Please list 38 of his 76 victories that are "tarnished". Excited to see this. He's the most underrated if anything! He never was in top equipment and never had Hendrick or Junior Johnson equipment, or Yates. Maybe one year Childress had top stuff and Dale took full advantage of that.

[@edmondcamp2878]

@@racemom2737 His victory in 1999 at Bristol was tarnished when he knocked Terry Labonte out of the way that was tarnished for one people say Terry was doing the same thing he was but the difference is Terry knew how to do without wrecking anybody and Dale didn’t. There’s several more I could name but I’d be writing all night and to say he never was in top equipment is wrong in 1979-1980 he was driving for multimillionaire Rod Osterland with the legendary Jake Elder as crew chief. In 1982-1983 he drove for Bud Moore a top tier team. Bud Moore was a legendary car owner who Bobby Allison won the 1978 Daytona 500 for and the 1980 Firecracker 400. Before that Buddy Baker won three consecutive races at Talladega for Bud so to say he wasn’t in good equipment is wrong. Another victory that was tarnished was his 1984 victory in Atlanta in the Dixie 500 where oil was coming out his exhaust pipes and getting oil all over Bill Elliotts windshield and Bill couldn’t see to get close enough to pass him but if it had been any other driver NASCAR would have parked them. It was always Dales dream to drive for Junior Johnson but in 1986 Dale wrecked Darrell Waltrip at Richmond and Darrell was driving for Junior and Junior was going to hire Dale because Darrell was leaving Junior at the end of the season and after Dale wrecked Darrell he went to Juniors garage area to tell Junior he didn’t mean to wreck Darrell and when Dale walked up Junior said Dale get out of here and don’t ever come back you know what you did. Junior said there wasn’t any sense in that Dale could have killed Darrell. The reason I know that it was either Tim Brewer or Jeff Hammond who worked for Junior at the time told it on a podcast. As far as naming all Dales illegitimate wins there’s not enough time or room for it.

[@edmondcamp2878]

@@racemom2737 I know you said list the 38 victories of the 76 I mentioned you’re obviously a person that sees things in black and white. When I said half his victories were tarnished I was simply using a hyperbole.

[@user-Dr.]

It's easy for everybody to bash Dale now, but the fact is, many drivers were out to get him, more because they were jealous of his incredible talent behind the wheel than anything else, Derrel Waltrip came in started to take up where Richard Petty was nearing the end of his incredible career, one of the very best, Derrel thought he was the man, for a couple years he was, than Dale came along and stole his thunder, it became Derrel's number one goal to f**k up Earnhardt, that was the downfall of Waltrip, Dales number one goal was to win, a lot of people were out to get Earnhardt, can't name em all but Elliot was another, thing is for the most part anybody that started to tangle with Earnhardt the vast majority of the time came out on the losing end, different than most drivers Dale was not out to get anybody, he was out to win, sometimes you were just in the way.

[@jcearnhardt393]

Rudd knew he was going to spin dale, he always ran mid pack so he didn't get many chances, in wilksboro that day he cared more about taking out dale than winning. That's why he raced for 33 years and only won 23 wins. He won 1 big race in 33 years and that was Indy. He dam sure ain't no hall of fame driver

[@theRooster722]

Rudd could've just punted Earnhardt out of the way, but instead he tried to race him clean , door to door. If Earnhardt would've given even him any room at all it wouldn't have been a wreck.

[@racemom2737]

@@theRooster722 blind boy! Rudd took a horrible angle into that turn almost hitting the pit wall. He went waay too low. He knew he was going to hit him, he had no choice to with the angle he took. He didn't want to race him. Dale held his line the whole time. Gave Rudd enough room.

[@racemom2737]

Correct and he won that one on fuel strategy. Yep, the angle he took going into turn one was terrible and knew it and Dale knew it.

[@theRooster722]

@@racemom2737 how many "bump and runs" have your seen in stock car racing over the years ? All Rudd had to do was bump him high into the marbles on corner entry if he had dirty intent and it was race over.

[@heavyhitter3185]

No I'll Tell ya What ya Done...You Cost Earnhardt that 8th Championship... AND Ya Know Ya Did...in the long run You Did... Because if That Hadn't Happened ...He Would Have Beat Rusty... because Rusty Just beat him by 11 points over your Foolish Move SMH 👎

[@racemom2737]

Rudd went into that turn knowing what he was going to do. He went into that turn planning to take Dale out. The angle he took he almost hit the pit wall.

[@heavyhitter3185]

@@racemom2737 Exactly Right!

[@michaela.2020]

Well Earnhardt deserved it, and more.

[@EatShitYouTube86]

WAAH WAAH WAAH