Carl Edwards and Ricky Rudd had very little overlap in their respective NASCAR careers. Edwards only entered the elite Cup Series in 2004 — a mere 67 races before Rudd ended his 32-year career — so the two never got a chance to know one another.

Carl Edwards left NASCAR abruptly in 2016 and has mostly stayed away since, making his Hall of Fame induction all the more special to him.

When Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards both left NASCAR after their driving careers ended, they disappeared from the sport, going years before returning to the track. Friday night, it was as if they hadn’t left.