Ricky's Personal Life

Spouse Cathleen

Kids Riley Diane, Richard Everett

Height 5' 9

Weight 165

Hometown Newburgh, Maine

Birthdate May 24, 1966

Hobbies Golf, working out, family, stock market

Biography

Some call him a modern-day version of former driver Pete Hamilton -- the comparison obviously made because both came from the New England states and established themselves as fierce competitors. And both won NASCAR's Rookie of the Year title in their inaugural seasons. But Craven won't be defined by any driver's skill or reputation other than his own. Once again, Craven overcame a great deal of adversity to post a respectable finish at year's end. He still hasn't put up the results to match his perceived talent, but his tenacity continues to win him fans and respect. For the second consecutive year, Craven was in a significant wreck, and this time he was actually forced to sit out two races. However, even with that hindrance, the Maine native still managed a career-best with a 19th-place finish in the NASCAR Winston Cup Standings. Craven was the highest-placing driver who did not start all 32 races. In fact, he finished ahead of 10 drivers who ran in more races than he did. Unlike his 20th-place of 1996, moreover, Craven was coming on strong at the end of the year. He dominated much of the ACDelco 400 before finishing third, and four of his seven top-10s came in the last eight races of the season. The NASCAR world still hasn't seen what Craven will be able to do when he is able to stay healthy for an entire season. If he manages to catch some good luck, it's not unreasonable to think he might get his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and maybe his first top-10 points finish. Hendrick Motorsports recognized Craven's potential and lured the young driver away from a shared ownership deal with Kodiak team boss Larry Hedrick for the 1997 season. For 1998, Hendrick's No. 25 Budweiser car will become the No. 50 to commemorate NASCAR's 50th anniversary. Craven's path to NASCAR Winston Cup came through the NASCAR Busch North Series, where he ran the full season for the first time in 1990. He won two races that season, grabbed the Busch Pole Award for winning seven poles during the season, and claimed both the Rookie of the Year title and the series' Most Popular Driver Award. In 1991, he swept it all, including the championship, with 10 victories, six poles, the Pole Award and the Most Popular Driver trophy.