Over NASCAR’s past quarter-century, few victory-lane celebrations can match the one at Martinsville Speedway Sept. 27, 1998. And that’s a good thing. Ricky Rudd ... of that win is that it ...

A radio reporter interviews Ricky Rudd on the ground of Victory ... But what the Virginia native did at tiny Martinsville Speedway in September 1998 might have been even more impressive.

Once upon a time, Ricky Rudd had a long Winston Cup winning streak. He won at least one event in 16 consecutive seasons. And then it was over, after a fall 1998 race at Martinsville Speedway.

The Winston Cup championship chase might have ended in the rain-delayed and rescheduled Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It might have been settled when second-ranked Ricky Rudd lost his ...

The half-mile Martinsville Speedway ... better than Ricky Rudd. He has three victories at the Virginia speedway, but after winning the fall race in 1998, nearly passed out because of heat exhaustion.