Got this from that other place...can't seem to find a link to it:
****** PRESS RELEASE – Rudd to Wood Brothers ******
Ricky Rudd today announced that he will be driving the Wood Brothers’ #21 Motorcraft Quality Parts Taurus during the 2003 Winston Cup season, surprising many who had him going to Ganassi Racing, Jerry Jones’ new entry into Winston Cup racing or one of the many other teams that have been linked with him in press reports over the last several weeks.
"First of all, I want to thank all of the teams that offered me an opportunity to drive for them in 2003," said Rudd. "I am very flattered that so many top-level race teams were interested in having me drive for them. I have made my decision and I am delighted to be joining forces with Glen, Leonard, Len, Eddie and Kim and the entire 21 Team."
For some time now it has been rumored that Rudd would not be returning to the Robert Yates #28 Havoline Ford. Since taking over as driver for the Havoline team in 2000, Rudd has won 3 races and has consistently finished in the top-5 in the Winston Cup Championship Points battle, being the highest finishing Ford in 2001. The team currently is 6th in the standings, only 168 points behind leader Sterling Marlin. However, there have been rumors that Rudd was looking for more money to return for the 2003 season than team owner Robert Yates was willing to pay, a point Rudd addressed directly.
"Unfortunately, there has been a great deal of misinformation about my plans for 2003. The press was reporting that the reason I would not be returning to the 28 Team was money, but that was never an issue between Robert and me. We got that out of the way early in the process. Earlier in the year, I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to continue racing after this year. My son Landon is now 7 years old, and it is getting harder and harder for me to be away from him and my wife Linda as much as it takes to compete in Winston Cup racing. My contract with Yates Racing was ending at the end of this season, so the time was right to evaluate my situation and decide whether I wanted to continue racing. But when I decided that I did, I very much wanted to return to the 28 Team."
According to Rudd, returning to the 28 Team was not possible because of events beyond his control:
"Robert had commitments that meant the 28 Team would have been broken up even if I came back. The issue was whether our personnel would stay with the 28 Organization or would be re-assigned to other Yates’ Teams. It was made clear to me that they would be re-assigned. It also became clear during our discussions that Robert had three sponsors, but only wanted to run two Teams. In effect, the 28 Team was the odd man out, apparently because it had less sponsorship funds than the other Teams. The handwriting was on the wall, so to speak. I understand the financial pressures on owners, and I guess Robert had to do what he considered best from a financial standpoint. But, it’s a shame. The 28 Team is a true, championship caliber Team with a long history in NASCAR, and it deserved to be kept intact if at all possible."
As to why he chose the Wood Brothers, Rudd had this to say:
"Some people might be surprised by that choice, but I am not sure why. Once it became clear that the 28 Team, in effect, was being dismantled, the most important thing to me was finding a Team that could be competitive, that could win races right out of the box. I do not have a lot of time left in this sport, and I did not want to go to a Team that was in a building process and would need 2 or 3 years to really be competitive. I have known the Wood’s for a long time. We have great respect for each other. I know what they have done and what they can do. I have watched them team with Roush Racing and put competitive cars on the track week after week. Anyone with a sense of racing history knows the Wood Brothers’ place in this sport. The number 21 Ford is one of the most legendary cars in motor sports, and it will be a privilege to place my name alongside the great drivers who have driven for the Wood Brothers. The history of that Team, and the fact that they have been putting competitive cars on the track all year, those really were deciding factors for me. The fact that they race Fords didn’t hurt either -- I have been driving Fords for a long time now. And, keep in mind, I grew up in Virginia. So finishing my career with a Virginia based team ‘closes the loop’ in a sense. I think it will be a terrific combination, and I am excited about it."
However, Rudd hopes to be competing in the Wood Brothers #21 Ford next year as the defending Winston Cup Champion:
"I am going to do my best to give the Havoline 28 crew a Championship before I leave. The guys on the 28 Team are special, and they are racers. They want to win as much as I do. I feel we can be competitive on any track we go to, and I don’t see this as a lame duck situation at all -- if Robert and Doug will continue to give us the support we need, we will try to give them, and Havoline, and the other great sponsors of the 28 Team, a Championship. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t quit. The Championship is up for grabs, and the 28 Team wants it badly. Nothing would give me more satisfaction than giving them a Championship."
Concerning the many recent stories that had him going with Havoline and the #28 to Ganassi Racing, Rudd had this to say:
"You hear all these crazy stories about how Chip and I were close to a deal but had a big blow-up and I was asked to leave his office. I don’t know where these stories come from. I have never even been to Chip’s office. I visited his shop a few weeks ago. We later met in Richmond, Virginia to discuss a possible contract. Chip and I had some good discussions. We certainly never have exchanged an angry word. He has a great organization, a really impressive race shop, and he has been a winner at every level of racing that he has attempted. Havoline has been a great sponsor. Ganassi Racing obviously was one of the really attractive options available to me. But as we talked, it became evident that there were issues that we were not going to be able to work out. I want to emphasize, however, that despite the stories in the press, none of those issues involved money, the length of the contract, the number of appearances or anything like that. In fact, those were never issues with any of the Teams I talked with. If money was an issue, I had offers of more money from other Teams that I turned down because I thought the #21 car had everything in place to win races and contend for a Winston Cup Championship in 2003. To me, that was the single, most important element -- the ability to be a contender week in and week out. While every driver wants to be paid fairly, I am not racing for money -- I want to win races, and anyone who knows me knows that I want to win a Championship."
Rudd summed up the situation as follows:
"I have been in this sport a long time. I have great respect for its traditions. I have been fortunate to drive for several of the teams that have helped build those traditions, including Richard Childress, Bud Moore, Rick Hendrick, Robert Yates, and now I am looking forward to the opportunity to drive for another Great Team, the Wood Brothers."
At age 45, Ricky Rudd is the "Iron Man" of racing, having started 667 consecutive Winston Cup races during a career that started in 1975. He has won 23 Winston Cup races in his career, 28 poles, and over $27 million in official purse money. Ricky is third on NASCAR’s Modern Era, "All-Time" list for Top 10 finishes, trailing only NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip, and is second All-Time in race laps completed. In 1998, he was voted one of NASCAR’s "Fifty All-Time Greats."
