Rudd’s Back? UPDATE 2 Surgery: #28-Ricky Rudd could be headed for the same back surgery that Mark Martin had during a recent offseason. “I didnt hurt my back when I hit the wall, I think I must have the Mark Martin syndrome, my back has been bothering me for a little while,” Rudd said. “I might have to get it fixed this winter. It hurts when I sit in the seat for a long time.”(SpeedVision)(11-19-2001) UPDATE: Ricky Rudd will undergo exploratory surgery next week to investigate the source of back pain that bothered him for nearly the entire season. Though the seriousness of his back injury isn’t known, Rudd said he expected a recovery period of only two weeks. It’s possible Rudd could need six months of rehab, depending on what next week’s arthroscopic procedure uncovers. Rudd said the injury is probably just some inflammation in his back – something many other drivers have experienced during the grueling schedule of races.(Arizona Republic)(11-30-2001) UPDATE 2: Ricky Rudd underwent arthroscopic back surgery on Wednesday in Charlotte. He came through the surgery very well, has been released from the hospital and is resting.(Ricky Rudd site) AND Rudd chose not to waste any time in getting help, having arthroscopic back surgery on Wednesday in Charlotte. Rudd came through the surgery without incident and is currently resting and recuperating. He was released from the hospital after the surgery. It was not immediately known if the surgery would have any effect on his ability to run in the open test at Daytona in January, but the team was confident that the 45-year-old would be able to test and is optimistic enough in Rudd’s recovery that it is not putting together any contingency plans for a substitiute driver at this time.(SpeedVision)(12-6-2001)
