While Carl Edwards and Ricky Rudd may have demonstrated different personalities on and off the racetrack, they had very similar reactions to discovering they had been elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“I didn’t even consider it,” Edwards said. “I melted. I couldn’t comprehend how big of an honor it was. I know I’m totally ready to soak in what it means to be in the NASCAR family.”

“I happened to be in the back yard and I got a call from Mike Joy. I said, ‘Is this call what I think it’s about.’ He said it was in my best interest to get down to Charlotte. I think we set the world record from Lake Norman to the Hall of Fame. I couldn’t believe it.”

The two racing legends are now linked in history as members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Edwards and Rudd served as co-grand marshals for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL™ 400.

Edwards collected 28 NASCAR Cup Series wins in a 13-year Cup career, including the 2015 Coca-Cola 600 and won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2007. While it came as a surprise when the then-37-year-old walked away from racing after the 2016 season, the Columbia, Missouri, native says he has few regrets.

“I felt it was a season in my life,” Edwards said. “I had so much fun – more than I can imagine. For me, I needed to focus on my family and health. For me, it was the right decision and it’s been wonderful.”

Rudd won 23 NASCAR Cup Series races in a span that began in 1975 and ended in 2007. Part of his career came while driving for a self-owned team.

“Reacquainting with people that are still connected with the sport has been neat for me,” said Rudd of the aftermath of his Hall of Fame election. “I was leaving racing and Carl was coming in. There was nobody better on the racetrack – and you got rewarded when he won to see a backflip. He won a lot so he did a lot of backflips.”

Joining Edwards and Rudd in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025 is the late owner/driver Ralph Moody, who was elected on the Pioneer Ballot. Edwards and Rudd were elected on the Modern Era Ballot.

HELPING HANDS

To combat the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, Charlotte Motor Speedway continues to take donations each Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. throughout October. Collections take place in the Silver Parking Lot at 6558 Bruton Smith Blvd. in Concord.

Earlier this month, Speedway Motorsports held Hurricane Helene relief drives at CMS and North Wilkesboro Speedway with support from NASCAR and area companies. More than 400 pallets of donated items were transported to North Wilkesboro Speedway for distribution to western North Carolina counties impacted by the hurricane.

Sunday’s honorary starter for the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400, 19-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Greg Biffle, used his personal helicopter this month to help deliver supplies to citizens stranded in remote areas.

The pre-race flyover also touches on the Helene response efforts, as 10 helicopter pilots who participated in relief efforts are scheduled to participate in the traditional pre-race aerial display.

HIGHER LEARNING

Earlier this month, NASCAR announced the expansion of its Campus Lab Program to Winston-Salem State University for the spring semester in 2025, making WSSU the first university in North Carolina to offer the program.

Rajah Caruth, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race winner this year, is a student at Winston-Salem State University, studying motorsports management. WSSU is the only historically black college and university to offer a motorsports management degree.

“Everybody celebrates with Raj,” said Bonita Brown, Winston-Salem State’s chancellor. “When he comes on campus, everyone is excited to see him. It’s an inspiration and lets people visualize what is possible.”

Students accepted to the Campus Lab Program will receive marketing and budget management experience, among other areas, and be paired with a mentor from NASCAR’s black employee resource group.

Brown was presented with a $100,000 check from NASCAR for the Campus Lab Program before Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400. The Campus Lab Program began at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2023.