Carl Edwards and Ricky Rudd had very little overlap in their respective NASCAR careers. Edwards only entered the elite Cup Series in 2004 — a mere 67 races before Rudd ended his 32-year career — so the two never got a chance to know one another.

Many of his former competitors were shocked to see him on the Yard of Bricks; it was the first time most had seen Rudd since his final Cup Series race in 2007.

But two things tie Edwards and Rudd together — when each decided to retire, both essentially vanished from the NASCAR scene, and, on Friday night they will return to their old racing community as inductees of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.