Ricky Craven

March 16, 2003 - A Darlington photo finish

Ricky Craven defeats Kurt Busch by two thousandths of a second. Craven's exciting victory at the "track too tough to tame" stands as the closest finish in NASCAR history since the inception of electronic scoring.

Born and raised in Newburgh, Maine, Ricky Craven began his road to NASCAR's elite series at the age of 15 at local tracks. His early successes made him a fan favorite in his native state and led him to compete on the American-Canadian Tour Late Model Tour.

Upon moving up to the NASCAR Grand National North Series, his 1990 season ended with two wins, Rookie of the Year honors and the Most Popular Driver award. He improved the following year, clinching the BGNN Championship and setting the stage for his move south to drive in the Busch Grand National division. In 1992, Ricky finished at the top of his rookie class, again earning himself the Rookie of the Year title.

After consecutive runner-up finishes in the Busch Grand National standings (now known as the Nationwide Series) as driver and owner, Ricky advanced to the national stage competing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. In 1995, his success in his first season won him the Rookie of the Year award, making him the first driver to win that honor in three major NASCAR series.

Additional rides in Ricky's Sprint Cup Series career include those with Hendrick Motorsports, SBIII Motorsports and Midwest Transit Racing. But it was the pairing of Ricky with PPI Motorsports in 2001 to drive the #32 Tide car that would bring both driver and owner their coveted first win at the highest level. On March 15, 2001, Ricky fulfilled a lifelong dream when he pulled into victory lane at Martinsville Speedway after winning the Old Dominion 500.

It was in his third season in the Tide car that a legendary win at the famed Darlington Raceway would become Ricky's career highlight. On March 15, 2003, Ricky edged Kurt Busch at the finish line by .002 seconds, the closest recorded finish in NASCAR history, and an unforgettable race for the sport's fans.

For his last full season of racing, Ricky joined Roush Racing in 2005 to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. On October 15th of that year, Ricky became just the 15th driver to win in all three of NASCAR's top divisions when he took the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway to win the Kroger 200.

Today Ricky serves as a NASCAR analyst for YAHOO! Sports, appears regularly on various NASCAR radio programs and engages in public speaking opportunities. Ricky describes the highs and lows associated with any career, the significance of showing resilience and the value of incorporating "DRIVE" into professional decisions and lifestyles.