RICKY RUDD 900th CAREER START CELEBRATION – Day 9
* Sweet Start: Rudd Starts on Front Row for Daytona 500
* On Deck: Ricky Rudd’s 900th Career Start at California Speedway

CHARLOTTE, NC (Sept. 2, 2007) – After taking a year off from the NASCAR Cup Series in 2006, Ricky Rudd returned to racing for the 2007 season. Rudd resigned with Robert Yates Racing(RYR) as the driver of the #88 Snickers® Ford joining teammate David Gilliland, the driver of the #38 M&M’S® Ford, both RYR teams unified by brands in the Mars US family. Having two teams working together and sharing information increases productivity and that was the goal for Robert Yates Racing. There was a veteran and a rookie working together and sharing each other’s knowledge on the track.

“Instead of competing against each other, David and I go out there and we’ve got two heads in the driver’s seat working together,” commented Rudd the teamwork at Robert Yates Racing. “Honestly it’s the kind of teamwork concept that’s a dream come true to be able to work together in that kind of environment.”

The pairing of Rudd and Gilliland made its premiere at Daytona International Speedway in February of 2007. Following a set of practice sessions, Rudd and Gilliland had NEXTEL Cup Series qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 11th. Gilliland was the 26th to qualify out of 61 cars all vying for a place in the starting field. Gilliland posted a fast lap time of 48.304 seconds and a top speed of 186.320 mph on his qualifying run which rocketed him to the top of the leader board. Rudd and his Snickers Ford was the 49th car to qualify for the Daytona 500 and Rudd ran a fast lap time of 48.489 seconds and a top speed of 185.609 mph which placed Rudd in second.

“I’m just tickled to death to see this for all the guys at Robert Yates Racing,” an elated Rudd said after his qualifying effort. “I couldn’t think of a better place to come back. I’ve got a really great team and it’s just a really good feeling right now, I like what’s going on.”

The Robert Yates Racing teammates had clinched the front row for the season-opening Daytona 500. For Gilliland, it was his first trip to Daytona International Speedway while for Rudd it marked his 29th qualifying effort at the ‘World Center of Racing.”

• Memorable Moments:

875th Career Start; Rudd ends his consecutive career starts streak with 788

* The Ford 400 on November 20, 2005 at Homestead-Miami Speedway * Drove the #21 Motorcraft Genuine Parts Ford for the Wood Brothers * Rudd started the race from 25th and finished 37th * Completed 262 of 267 laps * Won a total of $86,464

2006: Rudd is named as the 2006 Virginian of the Year

* Selected by the Virginia Press Association

• 2006: Rudd is asked to help an injured Tony Stewart

* The Neighborhood Excellence 400 on June 4, 2006 at Dover International Speedway * Rudd qualified and practiced the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet for Tony Stewart * Stewart had sustained injuries at Charlotte in the Busch and Cup races the previous week * Stewart started the race in order to earn driver points, but Rudd jumped in during the first caution and completed the race for Stewart

• 2007: Rudd resigns with Robert Yates Racing

* After taking the 2006 season off, Rudd signs on to drive the #88 Snickers Ford

884th Career Start: Rudd moves to second on the NASCAR’s All-Time Career Starts list

* The Aaron’s 499 on April 29, 2007 at Talladega Superspeedway * Rudd passes Dave Marcis’ previous record of 883 all-time career starts * Rudd is second only to Richard Petty’s 1,185 all-time career starts * Started the race from fifth and finished 33rd * Won a total of $110,458

• 2007: Rudd inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame

For the past nine days, Mars US has helped celebrate Rudd’s historical accomplishment by highlighting several of Rudd’s most memorable starts since his entrance into the NASCAR community in 1975. Media members can logon to www.NASCARMedia.com daily to receive stats, quotes and other information as the countdown begins to the historic September 2nd start.

RICKY RUDD 900th CAREER START CELEBRATION – Day 8
* Rudd Takes Title of Most Consecutive Starts
* On Deck: Ricky Rudd 900th Career Start Celebration – Day 9

CHARLOTTE, NC (Sept. 1, 2007) – In an age where sick days, vacations, and sabbaticals are common excuses to miss out on work, there is a man who made a name for himself by not partaking in any of those options. Ricky Rudd is a NASCAR Cup Series driver who didn’t believe in taking a break from work and made a career out of his reputation for being dependable and dedicated.

Rudd holds the title in NASCAR as the driver who has the most consecutive starts with 788 consecutive starts. 788 times he’s put on his firesuit. 788 times he’s heard the National Anthem and watched a flyover. 788 times he’s heard the famous command in NASCAR of “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!” Rudd never missed a beat.

Before he was able to set the record, he had to catch the record that was held by Terry Labonte. Labonte held the previous consecutive starts record in NASCAR with 655 starts. It was a record he held until May 5, 2002 when Rudd tied the record at Richmond International Raceway in the Pontiac Excitement 400.

The very next weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rudd passed Labonte making the Coca-Cola Family Racing 600 his 656th consecutive career start. Rudd began the race in 19th and finished in fourth for the day after he completed all 400 laps and led for a total of 49.

“In the beginning of my career all that I could focus on was trying to make sure I had sponsors every weekend,” recalled Rudd of his early years in NASCAR. “I just wanted to be able to make this sport and lifestyle my career and I never imagined that in the end I would have raced for 32 seasons where for 25 of them I never missed a race. There were plenty of times when I guess I could have sat out due to injuries, but the thought of sitting out never crossed my mind. I just loved being able to jump into my race car every weekend and that’s what kept me going every week.”

Rudd continued his consecutive career starts streak through the end of the 2005 NASCAR Cup Series season where he would close the record books with a total of 788 consecutive starts. A total of 25 years without missing a day of work, the NASCAR world may never see another streak similar to Rudd’s.

Memorable Moments:

• 778th Career Start; Rudd ties Terry Labonte for most consecutive career starts (655)

* The Pontiac Excitement 400 on May 5, 2002 at Richmond International Raceway * Drove the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing * Rudd started the race from 12th and finished 39th after a crash * Completed 308 of 400 laps and led for 90 laps * Won a total of $84,317

2002: Rudd’s final season as the driver of the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford

* Rudd became the last driver to compete in the #28 car in the NASCAR Cup Series

* Recorded one win in 2002 (Sonoma) and one pole award (Watkins Glen) * Rudd finished 10th in the final NASCAR Cup Series driver championship standings for the season making it the third consecutive year he had finished in the top 10 at Robert Yates Racing

• 800th Career Start:

* The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 on October 28, 2003 at Atlanta Motor Speedway * Drove the #21 U.S. Air Force/Motorcraft Ford for Wood Brothers Racing * Started the race from 42nd and finished 31st * Completed 319 of 325 laps * Won a total of $73,425