Ricky Rudd said yesterday he has agreed to take the [#2] ride with Roger Penske, replacing Rusty Wallace next season, if Penske can’t wrangle Kurt Busch from Jack Roush. “Roger and I have talked, but I really don’t know how it will all work out,” Rudd said. “We’re all waiting to see. I’d really planned to leave the sport at the end of the season,” Rudd said, revealing his plans after months of speculation. “And I told Eddie Wood (his car owner) that over the summer. But we were running so well that we didn’t want to say anything. But then the phone started ringing. However there is only one man I’d answer the phone for.” Penske, “If Roger needs me, I’ll take the ride,” Rudd said. Penske has signed Busch to drive in 2007 and wants Busch for 2006. But Roush won’t release Busch unless car owner Chip Ganassi releases Jamie McMurray to take Busch’s ride with Roush. And Ganassi won’t release McMurray unless he can land another top driver: the top two names mentioned are Labonte and Rudd. But Rudd said yesterday he wasn’t interested in taking the ride with Ganassi. So unless Ganassi can persuade Labonte to sign, it appears Penske is left with Wallace’s seat still to fill. Rudd said he’ll take that seat for one final season if Penske says he needs him.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-5-2005)
UPDATE – Penske and Sports Cars? Ricky Rudd said Saturday that he could end up driving for Roger Penske, possibly in the American Le Mans Series, instead of in NASCAR. Rudd, an expert road racer, said he will drive Penskes #2 Dodge Nextel Cup car in 2006 if Kurt Busch isnt released from his contract with Roush Racing. But regardless of how that works out and he put the odds at about 50-50 Rudd said hed like to have a shot at driving one of Penskes new Porsches in the ALMS. Im pretty much just standing by for the No. 2 (Penske Nextel Cup) car, Rudd said. There have been other ones that have come to me, but what I like about the No. 2 car is that everything that is needed, from financials to personnel, sponsorship everything there is in place. Its not a building or rebuilding situation, and thats whats appealing to me right now. Rudd said if he doesnt go Cup racing in 2006, that he had a house to build and a house to knock down, and thats the most immediate thing on my list. Once we get that going and under control, and June or July rolls around, I might do a few road races if the right opportunity exists if Im not in the No. 2 car.
As for the future of crew chief Michael Fatback McSwain, Rudd said he expects him to stay with the Wood Brothers #21 Ford next year, when Ken Schrader will take over behind the wheel. I think thats all done, Rudd said. He had a lot of great offers, but I believe hes all squared away, and thats great for the Wood Brothers. And Rudd said hes turned down a number of inquiries from other Cup teams. There are options out there, but Ive basically declined the other options, he said.(Speed Channel)(11-6-2005)
