CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Three men were given one of auto racing's highest honors by being elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Carl Edwards and Ricky Rudd were selected from the modern-era ballot. Ralph Moody was chosen from the pioneer ballot. Dean Sicking won the Landmark Award.
The Class of 2025 is the 15th in the Hall of Fame's history. The class features 56 wins and decades of experience working in the sport.
They will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in February at a ceremony in Charlotte.
Carl Edwards
With a career highlighted by backflips and burnouts, Edwards was a shoo-in to eventually make the Hall of Fame. Edwards won 28 times in the NASCAR Cup Series and 38 times in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Edwards captured two crown-jewel race victories in 2015 by winning the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500, his only wins in those events.
The first win of his career came in 2005 at Atlanta when he beat Jimmie Johnson by half a car length with an iconic photo finish.
Edwards was involved in three thrilling championship battles but came out on the losing end each time. In 2008, Edwards won nine races and spent time leading the points standings near the season's end but ultimately lost by 69 points to Jimmie Johnson. In 2011, Edwards led the standings for over two-thirds of the season but lost the title in a points tiebreaker with Tony Stewart based on wins. In 2016, Edwards was one of the Championship 4 in the season's final race. He was in position to win the title during the race but was wrecked on a late restart and forced out of contention.
While Edwards never won a Cup Series title, he did win the 2007 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and finished second in that series four times.
Ricky Rudd
Rudd was the model of consistency in the 1980s and 1990s. He won at least one race from 1983 to 1998, the third-longest streak in NASCAR history.
Rudd won 23 races in the NASCAR Cup Series, including a victory in the 1997 Brickyard 400.
Rudd's road course talents were well-established. He won six times on road courses and was always a factor at Riverside, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen. His first career win came at Riverside in 1983.
The 1991 season was Rudd's best shot at a title. He finished second in the standings behind Dale Earnhardt. He finished in the top five in the standings five times.
Rudd made the bold move to leave Hendrick Motorsports to become an owner-driver in 1994. He won six times in the iconic "Tide Ride" while racing for himself from 1994 to 1999. Ralph Moody
Ralph Moody
Moody saw success both on the track as a driver and in the garage as a mechanic and owner. He won five times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including four times in 1956.
After his racing career ended, Moody co-owned Holman-Moody with John Holman. The team won 96 races from 1957 to 1973 and two championships with David Pearson (1968, 1969).
Some of the drivers who competed for Holman-Moody include Pearson, Bobby Allison, Fred Lorenzen, and A.J. Foyt.
The Class of 2025 will be formally inducted in February 2025.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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