Rudd signs for Wood Brothers.

Wood Brothers Racing has confirmed that it has inked Ricky Rudd to a multi-year contract to begin driving the #21 Motorcraft Quality Parts Taurus in 2003.

In addition, Motorcraft announced a contract extension that will keep Motorcraft as its primary sponsor through to the end of 2005.

Currently the most experienced driver in the Winston Cup series - with an unbroken streak of 667 starts - Rudd is has driven for some of the most noted car owners in the sport, including Richard Childress, Bud Moore, Rick Hendrick and his current owner, Robert Yates. He also has history with the Motorcraft brand, having driven the #15 Motorcraft Ford for Moore between 1985-87.

Earlier this season, however, Rudd admitted that he was considering all options at the end of the year - including staying with current employer Robert Yates or retiring from racing altogether. With Yates last week announcing that he was ending his association with Rudd's #28 Havoline car, the die was cast for the veteran to move on.

"This came together very, very quickly," he said of the Wood Brothers deal, "I had a tremendous number of opportunities presented to me by a lot of great car owners in this sport, and it was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make in my life.

"Usually, you're not presented with this many options. In the past, you've got one opportunity on the table and you take it and you make it work and turn it into something. This time, it was a little confusing because we had so many great opportunities.

"Chip Ganassi and I talked, but simply couldn't come to final terms although, believe me, we tried. There was a couple of weeks of negotiations that went on and, contrary to what you might believe, it wasn't over money. If I was just looking for the money, there were some other teams out there that had some tremendous incentives and bonus cheques out there if I wanted to join with them.

"To have the chance to drive for the Wood Brothers was sort of a dream of mine when I was a kid just getting started. I grew up in Virginia and, obviously, these guys are on the western part of the state, but watching David Pearson win a lot of races as a kid I noticed it was a family team that I always wanted to be a part of. It was a tough decision, but after sorting through it and looking at all the opportunities and looking inside and out at all these teams, my number one priority was to get with a race team that could win races right of the box, that could challenge for a championship, and these guys do it every week.

"Motorcraft Quality Parts is a sponsor that I have a history with from way back in the mid-eighties - a team I was associated with - so I know a lot of friendly faces and good friends at Motorcraft and I'm looking forward to working with these guys again. I think they see how competitive Winston Cup racing is and the Motorcraft folks have given these guys the support it takes to go out there and put a car on the race track.

Rudd is considered one of the key players in this season's NASCAR 'silly season' and the confirmation of his destination should now allow other pieces of the puzzle to slot into place. As far back as the end of May, team owner Eddie Wood said that Rudd was at the top of his short list of prospective drivers to replace the departing Elliott Sadler.

"I gave the same answer from day one," he said, "I said until Ricky Rudd is in a seat, we're not gonna do anything. I dreamed and hoped he'd be in our seat. There were times you thought it wouldn't work. It went away, came back, went away, came back. Finally it came back for good.

"Motorcraft said 'if you can get Ricky, we'll re-sign'. He was the first choice, so we just waited it out. Everything about Ricky fits us. Ricky's got Virginia ties, as we do. It's a perfect fit. We were looking for a veteran that could come in, help our race team with his knowledge and experience. Ricky is that guy. He has a tremendous feel. He's competitive at every racetrack we race at. It's just a dream for us to have him in our seat."