2025 Inductee Rick Cudby

Rick Cudby got started in auto racing in 1970 as a crew member on the #97 1953 Ford Stockcar driven by 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Ferrie and by the end of that season, he wanted to build his own racecar.

During the off-season, Rick and Syd Tyler put together their #55 Stockcar, a brown 1955 Chevy two door sedan and at the July 31^st combined Stockcar and Super Stock show, Rick began to step into the limelight and show his ability behind the wheel, placing second in the fast heat and fourth in the annual forty lap Roy White Memorial race. Then on Sept 12^th he qualified for and won his first trophy dash.

The following year proved to be Rick’s breakout season in a second #55 Chevy, this one sporting a shiny blue paint job with Modern Woodworkers and Cudby Roofing as the car’s sponsors. At the second event on April 23rd, Rick placed first in the trophy dash which he repeated the following weekend along with his first main event victory which would be followed by eight more that year including the Northwest Insurance Agencies, the Ted Birtwhistle Memorial and the Stockcar Championship race trophies, not to mention the Corby Cup for the most main event wins. On June 17^th, Rick bested his previously-set track record, lowering it to 19:02. He finished the season in second spot in points to Tony Johnson, the two of them having provided the fans with many close “one-two” finishes in several races that year. In addition, Rick was voted 1972’s Driver of the Year and the “55” car was voted the Best Looking Stockcar.

The 1973 season was another banner year for Rick and the #55 and a repeat of his see-saw battle with Tony Johnson for Stockcar supremacy, much to the delight of many of Western’s fans. Rick again captured the Corby Cup, this time with six main event firsts including the Good Samaritan 100 and another which was sponsored that evening by Coca Cola. Rick again finished second in the final season points tally and then chose to hang up his helmet and retire from active competition.