With no Winston Cup race scheduled for this weekend, most of NASCAR's top race teams and drivers will take the week off, getting a little rest and relaxation before beginning a stretch of 20 consecutive races beginning with next week's Pepsi 400 at Daytona.

Ricky Rudd, the winner of last week's race at the newly named Infineon Raceway, is no exception. Rudd will take his wife Linda, his son Landon and a few neighborhood kids to Disney World for a few days.

Ricky Rudd has 23 career victories in his 26-year career. (AP)

Rudd has a lot on his mind these days. And as he nears one of the biggest decisions of his 26-year career, the racing world is waiting to hear if he will retire at the end of this season or race for one more year.

"There are some tough questions that we're facing," Rudd says. "We've got some serious things we need to think about."

So serious that Rudd's decision could affect the entire Winston Cup circuit.

If he stays, Rudd could be a factor in the Winston Cup points race for at least a few more years. And if he stays, but jumps to another team, he could shift the balance of power in the Winston Cup garage. With 23 career victories, he's still good enough to have that kind of impact on a team.

If he decides to go, retiring to spend more time with his family, then the sport has lost one of its classiest drivers and an athlete whose brute honesty is hard to find in today's corporate-minded sports world.

Since he first admitted he was considering retirement a few months ago, the entire NASCAR community, most notably his car owner, Robert Yates, has been waiting to see what Rudd will do.

At first, many thought he would walk away, which is probably why Yates has wasted little time seeking a replacement.

Now, it appears Rudd might be inclined to stay. The problem is he doesn't know if he still has a ride for next year with his current Yates team.

His contract is up after this season, and Rudd believes Yates already has gone out and signed young Elliott Sadler to replace him.

Further aggravating Rudd, who will be 46 in September, is the fact he can't get a straight answer out of Yates, which can sometimes be like pulling teeth.

"It's a little difficult, because I really don't know what's going on there," Rudd says. "I don't hold the cards there, Robert holds the cards. If you've ever talked to Robert, you can talk to him for three hours and you leave there and say, 'What did he say?' It's not because he's not wise. He purposely can talk in a circle better than anybody I've ever seen. So, I'm not getting answers out of him. I really don't know. I don't know if that seat is available or not."

If it is, Rudd would clearly like to stay. He and crew chief Michael "Fatback" McSwain have formed a special relationship and are on the verge of doing great things.

They won two races together last year and chased champion Jeff Gordon all season before finishing fourth in points. They won last week and could have won four of the past six races had mechanical failures and misfortune not plagued them.

Rudd says his top priority would be to return to the No. 28 team, if Yates will re-sign him. His second choice would be to retire, though he suddenly doesn't sound too convincing about that option.

His third choice, which all of a sudden looks much more likely, is signing with another team.

And believe Rudd when he says he has options. He not only has options, he says, but he has contracts in hand.

The big question, and perhaps the biggest mystery in the sport right now, is, from whom?

Could he return to Richard Childress Racing, where he began his successful career? Could he return to Hendrick Motorsports, where he nearly won a championship in 1991?

Or could he hook up with an up-and-coming team, like Chip Ganassi Racing, or Andy Petree's new team with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones?

The sensible thing for both parties would be for Yates and Rudd to make up, sign a new contract and continue their quest of trying to win a Winston Cup championship. Of the drivers and teams currently within striking distance of the points lead, Rudd and his No. 28 team have as good a chance as any of capturing the ultimate flag.

And no offense to Sadler, who has a world of potential, but Yates has to know he could be throwing away another championship by letting Rudd walk.

That's certainly what Rudd fears most.

"The only thing that enters your mind when you start thinking about it is that I've worked for 27 years to get a team and a crew chief and a sponsor and a car owner where everything clicks like it does here," he says. "You hate to give that up after working for 27 years for a shot at it."

What will Rudd do? That's the biggest mystery in NASCAR and everyone is awaiting an answer. His decision could affect a dozen drivers and teams for next season.

"Everyone wants to get their ducks in a row," Rudd says. "I wouldn't say it's a race to get me in their car, but the domino effect will start falling. Unfortunately, it hinges off what I do. I think there are a lot of people's futures kind of waiting on the side to see what I do if I stay."

As he strolls around Disney World with his family this weekend, only Rudd holds the answer to NASCAR's most intriguing question.

As he ponders his future, Rudd has made one thing clear: He wants to, and intends to, go out on top.

"When I go out, I want to go out at the best of my game," he says. "Certainly, it would be nice to go out on top."

And if he does decide to return, that's exactly what Rudd plans to do.

"I want to go to the best place that Ricky Rudd can go and win races and, hopefully, try to win a championship," he says. "That's my number one priority."

Sounds like a driver who has a lot of racing left to do.