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A separated left shoulder will force Ricky Rudd to miss Saturday night's NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Richmond, the first time in Rudd's career he will have missed a start because of an injury.

Rudd owns NASCAR's record for consecutive starts at 788, a streak that stretched from 1981-2005, when he stepped away from the sport. He returned this year, but recently said he would retire at the end of the season.

The Richmond race would have been his last appearance at the track closest to his hometown of Chesapeake, Va.

"I've never missed a race due to an injury, but I still feel lucky because it could've been a lot worse," Rudd said in a statement. "Obviously, the fact I cannot race at Richmond, my home track, upsets me, but I will be there with the team this weekend to assist in any way I can.''

Kenny Wallace will replace Rudd, who was injured in a crash during Sunday night's race at California Speedway. Rudd, who will turn 51 next week, saw a Charlotte area physician Tuesday, and he won't need surgery. He will be evaluated next week to determine his status for the Sept. 16 race at New Hampshire.

YELEY IN, RAINES OUT: J.J. Yeley will replace Tony Raines as a driver for Hall of Fame Racing after this season, the team announced Tuesday. That will keep Yeley close to Joe Gibbs Racing, his team for the past two seasons. Gibbs provides chassis, engines and technical support to Hall of Fame, which is in its second season in Nextel Cup competition.

Hall of Fame ranks 25th in car owner points. Raines, who was replaced in both road course events, is 31st in the driver standings. The team's best finish is a fourth by Ron Fellows at Watkins Glen in August. Raines' best finish this year is 13th at Texas in April. Yeley has one top-five finish and four top-10s in 67 career Cup starts. He is 20th in the standings after finishing 29th last year.

A DUD CHASE? Dale Earnhardt Jr. enters Saturday's race at Richmond International Raceway as the only driver who could race his way into the Chase for the Championship. He is 128 points behind Kevin Harvick for the 12th and final spot. This could be the first time in the Chase's four years that a driver doesn't race his way into the field in the final event before the cutoff. And this comes after NASCAR expanded the Chase field from 10 to 12 this year.

Harvick will clinch a Chase spot Saturday if he finishes at least 32nd regardless of what Earnhardt does. Eleventh-place Kurt Busch will make the field by finishing 36th or better.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dlong@news-record.com