There's still room to run for over-40 drivers like Rudd

Suddenly, NASCAR is not just a young man's game anymore.

Sure, the young guns have taken over the sport in recent years, with drivers like 2006 Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and 2004 champ Kurt Busch rising to stardom, followed by up-and-comers like Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.

Ricky Rudd replaced the injured Tony Stewart at the Dover race in June. (Getty Images)

But, as Ricky Rudd's recent return suggests, there is still room for NASCAR's elder statesmen. And that is something many longtime veterans feared was over a few years ago.

Some of the sport's biggest stars have retired -- Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte -- in recent years, but one of them (Rudd) is returning after a one-year retirement. And others, like Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader, still have a place in the sport.

Rudd, 50, will return to Robert Yates Racing in 2007, replacing Jarrett, another 50-year-old driver who landed a lucrative contract with Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing.

Both were once teammates at RYR and big winners in the sport, Jarrett winning the 1999 Cup championship and Rudd winning 23 races in 31 years. He, too, was a championship contender during his three-year tenure with Yates.

Mark Martin, 47, flirted with retirement for two years before deciding to return next year to run a partial schedule for Ginn Racing (formerly MB2 Motorsports). Ward Burton, 47, also will return, landing a ride with Morgan-McClure Motorsports.

"I'm very happy that we've got sponsors that (we) happen to fit in with their brand, and you're not considered over the hill from a marketing standpoint at the age of 35," says Rudd, who will be sponsored by Snickers next year.

The big question facing all drivers over 40 now, though, is: Can they still win?

For the first time in years, no driver over 40 won a race in 2006. The last to do so was Jarrett in October 2005.

Yet 12 drivers over the age of 40 will race next season, 10 of them full-time. Two, Martin and Schrader, will share rides with younger drivers.

Of the 12, 10 have won races before, with Jarrett, Rudd, Martin and Bobby Labonte all winning more than 10 races and Marlin and Michael Waltrip having won the Daytona 500 multiple times.

They are still getting a shot despite their age for several reasons. One, there is clearly a shortage of young drivers who are ready to compete at NASCAR's highest level, the pipeline of young stars having dried up a bit in the past two years.

Two, many struggling teams are desperate for the veteran drivers' experience, especially ones who can still get a fast car in the field each week. That's the biggest reason Waltrip lured Jarrett for his new team. Not only can Jarrett qualify, but he has a former champions provisional to help him make races.

And third, there is big money being spent on drivers these days, forcing drivers like Jarrett and Martin to stick around and drivers like Rudd to come out of retirement. (Elliott even flirted with a return to full-time racing last year.)

Robert Yates Racing is a perfect example of a team that needs a veteran. Once one of the sport's top organizations, RYR fell on hard times last year, failing to win a race for the first time in years. Jarrett finished just 18th in points and decided to move on after the most successful years of his career.

Elliott Sadler, once the team's hope for the future, became frustrated with the team's struggles and also decided to move on, switching to Evernham Motorsports at midseason.

Yates replaced Sadler with 31-year-old rookie David Gilliland, who many believe has the potential to win at the Cup level.

But to help turn the organization around, Robert Yates is turning to Rudd, a veteran who has driven for several teams throughout his career and once won at least one race in 16 consecutive seasons.

Though Rudd is well past his prime, Yates believes he still has enough left to provide his organization with valuable experience. And, who knows, maybe he can still catch lightning in a bottle and challenge the sport's young stars at age 50.

Rudd has always been in excellent shape and is one of the sport's most intense competitors. He says he wouldn't be coming back if he didn't think he could still win.

"Racing is in my blood," says Rudd, who ran some go-kart races during his year off. "It has been since I was a kid, and for the time until I'm dead and in the grave, I'm sure that desire will still be there. ... I feel like I'm more focused than ever by having the time off."

Despite his age, Rudd can still be competitive if Yates can turn his operation around and give him a competitive car. After last year's struggles, that's a big "if."

Rudd, though, believes Yates has the desire and determination to revive his operation.

"I saw the fire in Robert's eyes when I met him the other day," Rudd said in announcing his return. "He's ready to get this operation turned around and the whole operation is hungry. I couldn't be back at a more opportune time."

If a driver can help Yates' rebuilding project succeed, Rudd is a good bet.

Jeff Owens is executive editor of NASCAR Scene and a columnist for CBS SportsLine.com.