Rutherford began racing modified stock cars in Dallas in 1959 before joining the International Motor Contest Association sprint car circuit in 1961. He established himself quickly, winning the USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 1965. His NASCAR career, which ran from 1963 to 1988 and included 35 Cup starts, opened with a remarkable debut: he won a qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick, becoming one of the youngest drivers to win a full NASCAR points-paying race and one of the very few to win in their debut start.
His first Indianapolis 500 start came in 1963. The following year, he witnessed the fatal accident in Turn 1 involving Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald. Rutherford narrowly escaped the inferno — passing so close to Sachs' burning car that a lemon the driver wore around his neck was found inside Rutherford's engine compartment after the race. In 1966, a serious crash at Eldora Speedway, which left him with broken arms and a head injury, forced him to miss the rest of the season.
Rutherford's fortunes transformed when he joined the McLaren team in 1973. He set a one-lap qualifying record at Indianapolis that year of 199.071 mph — missing the 200 mph barrier by less than one mile per hour. His long-awaited second career win came at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1973.
His first Indianapolis 500 victory came in 1974, followed by a second in 1976, the latter complemented by a pole position. He added pole positions in 1973 and 1980 as well. His third and final Indy 500 win, in 1980, came as part of a championship year — he won the CART title that season. From 1973 to 1981, Rutherford recorded a win in nine consecutive seasons, placing him among a select group of Indy car drivers to achieve that level of sustained excellence.
In 1984, at Michigan International Speedway, Rutherford set an all-time Indy car single-lap qualifying speed record of 215.189 mph. In 1986, his victory at the Michigan 500 at age 48 made him the oldest driver to win a 500-mile Indy car race — a record that still stands.
In October 1977, Rutherford competed at the Bathurst 1000 in Australia, pairing with fellow Indianapolis racer Janet Guthrie — the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 — and driving for Ron Hodgson Motors. Racing on the right-hand-drive Holden Torana around Mount Panorama's challenging public-road circuit was a new experience for Rutherford, and the race ended early after a collision on lap eight.
His first Indy 500 win in 1974 held additional historical significance: Betty Rutherford, his wife who had met him at the speedway in 1963 while working as a nurse during his rookie test and married him two months later, was watching from the pits — helping to end a longstanding superstition in American racing against women being present in the pit area.
Rutherford's 24th and final Indianapolis 500 start came in 1988. He officially retired from competition in May 1994 after failing to secure rides in several subsequent seasons. Following his driving career, he transitioned to broadcasting, working as a television analyst for NBC, CBS, and ESPN, and later as a driver analyst for the IMS Radio Network from 1989 through most years until 2002.
At the inception of the Indy Racing League in 1996, Rutherford became a full-time official, serving as pace car driver until 2016 and as a driver coach for rookie orientation. He later served as a racing ambassador for Arrow McLaren. Rutherford was also a talented visual artist, and his artwork appeared on the program cover of the 2021 Indianapolis 500.
Inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 1987, the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1995, and both the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996, Rutherford's legacy extends across sprint cars, stock cars, and oval racing. His three Indianapolis 500 victories, sustained record-setting speed, and decades of contribution to the sport as a competitor, broadcaster, and ambassador have made him one of the most enduring figures in American racing history.