Ricky Rudd's racing career started at the age of nine racing go-karts and motocross through his teens. The first time he ever strapped into a stock car was in 1975 when he was practicing for his Cup Series debut. Qualifying for that race he went on to place 11th. Ricky went on to run only 4 races that year. However, his reputation as a championship-caliber driver started to come together in 1977, when he ran 25 races for his father and earned one top-five and 10 top-10 finishes en route to rookie of the year honors.

Ricky would have to start 160 Cup races before taking his first victory in 1983 at Riverside Raceway and winning again later that year in Martinsville. Those victories would start a stretch in which Ricky won at least one Cup Series race for each of the next 16 seasons, a Cup Series record Ricky shares with Rusty Wallace.