Brickyard build up: Ricky Rudd.

A win Sunday in the Brickyard 400 would allow Ricky Rudd to check off three important items on his 2001 list of goals.

The first is to win the Brickyard 400 for the second time. Rudd, won the Brickyard 400 in 1997, placing him in the elite class of five who have accomplished that feat. He also won the pole last year.

"I have a lot of good memories of Indianapolis," Rudd said. "My win there in 1997 is obviously the biggest of my career and something that I'm very proud of.

"When I was seven years old, I remember going on a tour of the speedway and being completely in awe of that place. At that time, racing there was just a dream, so to actually win at Indy was extremely special to me.

"At this point in the season we are going to every track with a chance at winning, and Indy should be no different. Winning the Brickyard 400 is a grand accomplishment in itself and it would be even better if the Texaco/Havoline team can be the one to give Robert his 50th win."

Giving Robert Yates his 50th win is Rudd's second goal. In fact, the next time Rudd or teammate Dale Jarrett make it to victory lane, Robert Yates will surpass yet another milestone in his legendary career. Yates has been a car owner for 12 years and for seven of those years, he owned a single-car team, making this achievement even more impressive. He has won at least one race every season he has been a car owner.

"The reason Robert has always been successful is that he is first and foremost a racer," Rudd said. "Secondly, he's a successful businessman and does everything primarily to assist his teams in winning races. He puts a lot of effort into Daytona and Indianapolis because he likes winning the big races even more."

And finally, winning at Indy will give Rudd a chance to gain points on Jeff Gordon, or perhaps take over the points lead.

Rudd, driver of the No. 28 Texaco/Havoline Ford, enters the Brickyard 400 with 14 top-10 finishes in 20 races this season, more than any other driver. Rudd won his first race in the No. 28 car at Pocono Raceway in June.

The Texaco/Havoline team has shown consistency week in and week out, which is part of the reason they are only 45 points out of first place in the points battle.

With the points race so close, winning the Brickyard 400 would provide a huge wave of momentum for the No. 28 team. Fortunately, the team tested at Indy just last week and gained valuable insight into what they need for their race setup this weekend.

"I'm extremely pleased with our test session at Indy," Rudd said. "We're very well-prepared for the race on Sunday and I have a lot of confidence that our performance will show it."

The No. 28 team certainly has plenty of incentive to give their best performance this weekend at the Brickyard 400. Most importantly, if they do arrive in victory lane, they may also find themselves in first place in the battle for NASCAR Winston Cup points.