Glen Wood
Wood
Brothers
Leonard Wood
 It
was Glen Wood that brought the famous Wood Brothers team
into racing, forming a team in 1950 to run Modifieds on dirt. Glen was
nominated as the driver. What started out simply as fun quickly became
serious business.
With Wood's expertise behind
the wheel the team was gaining recognition. In 1954, he won the North
Carolina sportsman championship, and three years later he finished third
in the NASCAR convertible division points.
In 1959, the likeable Wood
was named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver. Wood dominated the track at
Winston-Salem, winning there three times in 1960. In his final year
behind the wheel, Glen raced only the two Winston-Salem races, winning
one and finishing 3rd in the other.
It was then he hung up his
helmet for good and assumed the duties of crew chief for a list of
drivers that reads like a "Who's Who", such names as Yarborough,
Pearson, Foyt, Roberts, Turner, Weatherly, Panch and Lund. They also
crewed Jim Clark at Indy in 1965.
Although his driving career
was brief, Glen Wood is still counted among NASCAR's 50 Greatest
Drivers. Glen was also inducted into the
International Motorsports
Hall of Fame in 2002.
When
talking about Glen Wood, it is difficult to not to talk about the
legendary Woods Brothers. Here are some some stories of their fabled
racing history.
RACING
REVOLUTIONARIES By Dr. Mark D. Howell
 Glen
and Leonard Wood have done more to revolutionize the sport of NASCAR
racing than anyone in motorsports history. These siblings from Stuart,
Virginia, have scored 96 victories, 116 pole positions, and were
responsible for developing today's orchestrated pit stop technique. Not
only did the Wood Brothers use their choreographed system to win at such
competitive speedways as Daytona, Charlotte, Darlington, Michigan, and
Atlanta, but they also used it to win the 1965 Indianapolis 500 with the
late Jimmy Clark as their driver.
 Part
of the Wood Brothers' legacy over their fifty years in stock car racing
has been their knack for hiring talented drivers, even though Glen Wood
(known as "The Woodchopper" since he owned a sawmill in Stuart by the
age of 21) drove the family's race cars himself during the 1950s and
became recognized as one of the sport's best short-track racers. Of
the top fifty drivers named to commemorate NASCAR's fiftieth anniversary
in 1998, seventeen had driven for the Woods. Such legendary competitors
as David Pearson, Tiny Lund, A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Donnie Allison,
Marvin Panch, Dan Gurney, Neil Bonnett, and Parnelli Jones have all been
behind the wheel of a Wood Brothers entry. This year marks Glen and
Leonard's golden anniversary in racing, a fifty-year period that forever
shaped NASCAR's history and its impact on American culture.
 The
Wood Brothers' greatest mark on motorsports history was their
performance in the 1963 Daytona 500. Marvin Panch, Glen and Leonard's
driver, was seriously injured in a sports car race when the Maserati he
was driving overturned and caught fire. Several bystanders leaped into
action to rescue Panch from the flames; one of the rescuers was a stock
car driver from Iowa named DeWayne "Tiny" Lund. Since Panch was injured
in the accident, and the Wood Brothers' red and white #21 Ford needed a
replacement driver, Lund was given the chance to compete in the Daytona
500.
The 1963 Daytona 500 ended up becoming the greatest
"Cinderella story" in all of professional sports history. Tiny Lund and
the Wood Brothers ran a masterful race, using effective drafting
techniques and smart pit strategy to conserve fuel and stay ahead of
challengers like Ned Jarrett and Fred Lorenzen. As their competition
pitted for closing lap splash-and-go fuel stops, Lund and the Wood
Brothers ended their day by parking in victory lane, celebrating their
Hollywood-like performance at the World Center of Racing. Adding to the
excitement of their 1963 win: the Wood Brothers never changed the
Firestone tires on Lund's car!
The Wood Brothers have visited victory lane at the
Daytona 500 on four different occasions with the help of drivers like
Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), and David Pearson
(1976), whose win that year went down in the annals of sports history as
the wildest finish ever seen in motor racing. Pearson's battle with
Richard Petty near the end of the event resulted in a
last-corner-of-the-last-lap accident that sent both drivers and their
cars spinning into the infield grass just yards from the finish line.
While Petty struggled in vain to refire the engine of his Dodge, David
Pearson rolled the Wood Brothers' Purolator Mercury across the finish
line at less than twenty miles per hour to win the race.
Such events highlight the Wood Brothers' role in the
evolution and success of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Whether it be an
outstanding car driven by a talented hotshoe, or an innovation that
catches the rest of their competition by surprise, Glen and Leonard Wood
have helped make stock car racing the popular sport it is today. Their
addition to the Motorsports Hall of Fame is another accomplishment of
which they can be truly proud.
WOOD
BROTHERS RACING … IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY
 It
is family owned and family run. It is a legend in the annals of
NASCAR history. Wood Brothers Racing, the oldest continuously operating
team in NASCAR Nextel Cup, entered a new phase in 2003 with the
introduction of Ricky Rudd as the man behind the wheel of the #21
Motorcraft Racing Ford Taurus.
“Motorcraft and the people at Ford Customer Service
Division have been extremely pleased with our association with Wood
Brothers Racing,” said Ann O’Neill, Executive Director FCSD. “This team
represents family, quality and a sincere concern for the product they
produce and that is what Motorcraft and Ford Motor Company are all
about. The same building blocks that have given Wood Brothers Racing its
competitive strength over the years can be compared to the building
blocks that keep Ford and its divisions and products at the top of the
automotive market.”
When the Woods signed on with Motorcraft three years
ago Eddie Wood said, “Working with Motorcraft is going to be like
working with family. Len and I have known nothing but Ford since we were
children. Ford is part of our heritage. I can’t think of a better fit
for our team.”
 And
now Ricky, Linda and Landon Rudd have joined the family.
“It’s a little scary how quickly and easily all of
this has come together,” said Rudd. “The bottom line, I guess, is that I
trust Eddie and Len Wood, and I trust the people at Motorcraft. We’re
speaking the same language.
“Everybody in the garage who knows anything has seen
how good the Wood Brothers’ equipment is,” Rudd continued. “Eddie and
Len have put together a partnership with Jack Roush that is paying off.
Pat Tryson (crew chief) used to work for me when I ran my own team. This
is really comfortable for Linda and me, and I think we’ve got a chance
to win some races.”
This will be Rudd’s second turn carrying the
Motorcraft banner. From 1985-1987, Rudd won four races and finished in
the top-10 all three years while driving Motorcraft Ford Thunderbirds
for Bud Moore Engineering.
 Judi
Moritz, Motorcraft Motorsports and Event Marketing Manager said, “When I
received this assignment, racing was all new to me, but it didn’t take
long to realize how important Wood Brothers Racing is in NASCAR and just
what a privilege it is to be associated with them. Motorcraft has signed
a three-year agreement with the Wood Brothers to continue our
sponsorship and partnership as a racing team. Their family further
accentuates the Ford family and our presence in racing and we are very,
very excited to continue that.”
Another big factor to the team’s success is the
team’s primary association with the United States Air Force. “The Air
Force has become part of our family too and we are very proud of that
relationship,” said Len Wood. “They are looking for young recruits with
an interest in mechanics and engineering and NASCAR provides the perfect
target audience for those goals.”
Wood Brothers Racing was founded by Glen Wood, who
along with his brother, Leonard guided its growth and success into the
1980’s. Glen’s sons Eddie and Len and daughter Kim are team co-owners
and now manage the business.
http://www.woodbrothersracing.com
Inducted into the Oceanside
Rotary Stock Car Hall of Fame 1997,
Ormond Beach, Florida
Records
96 Winston Cup Wins
80 Super-Speedway Wins
53 500-mile Wins
116 Poles
87 Super-Speedway Poles
92 Fastest Qualifiers on Super Speedways
26 Super Speedway Races won from pole
Won Triple Crown in 1976
(Daytona 500, World 600, Southern 500)
 Formed
in 1953, the Wood Brothers Racing Team is one of the oldest, best-known
and most successful in NASCAR Winston Cup Racing
- May 17,1953 First Grand National Race
- Oct 19, 1958 First Grand National Pole
- Apr 18, 1960 Winston-Salem, NC - First Grand
National Win
Oct 16, 1960 Charlotte, NC - First Super-Speedway Win
| WIN |
TRACK |
DATE |
REASON |
| - |
Martinsville,
VA |
May 17, 1953 |
Wood Brothers’ first
GrandNational race; Glen Wood was the driver. |
| - |
N. Wilkesboro,
NC |
Oct 19, 1958 |
First GN pole (G.
Wood); came in team’s 12th attempt. |
| 1 |
Winston-Salem,
NC |
Apr 18, 1960 |
First GN win (G.
Wood); came in team’s 32nd race. |
| 4 |
Charlotte, NC |
Oct 16, 1960 |
First superspeedway
win (S. Thompson); came in first start superspeedways. |
| 5 |
Richmond, VA |
Oct 23, 1960 |
Second and last win
for Thompson with Woods. |
| 6 |
Daytona Beach,
FL |
Feb 24, 1963 |
Second superspeedway
win; Tiny Lund ended 33-race winless streak. |
| 7 |
Winston-Salem,
NC |
Aug 13, 1963 |
Fourth and last win
for G. Wood. |
| 8 |
N. Wilkesboro,
NC |
Sep 29, 1963 |
First win for M.
Panch. |
| 9 |
Riverside, CA |
Jan 19, 1964 |
First win for D.
Gurney. |
| 14 |
Atlanta, GA |
Apr 11, 1965 |
Fifth superspeedway
win; first for Panch. |
| 18 |
Rockingham, NC |
Oct 31, 1965 |
First win for C.
Turner; record 4th superspeedway win of season. |
| 20 |
Riverside, CA |
Jan 29, 1967 |
First win for P.
Jones. |
| 21 |
Atlanta, GA |
Apr 2, 1967 |
10th superspeedway
win; first for C. Yarborough. |
| 23 |
Riverside, CA |
Jan 21, 1968 |
Gurney’s fourth and
last win; record fifth straight win here. |
| 27 |
Daytona Beach,
FL |
Jul 4, 1968 |
15th superspeedway
win; fifth for Yarborough. |
| 28 |
Darlington, SC |
Sep 2, 1968 |
Record 5th
superspeedway win in 1 season. |
| 34 |
Rockingham, NC |
Nov 15, 1970 |
20th superspeedway
win; 10th for Yarborough on supers and13th overall in 77 races. |
| 35 |
Ontario, CA |
Feb 28, 1971 |
First win for A.J.
Foyt. |
| 37 |
Talladega, AL |
May 16, 1971 |
First win for D.
Allison. |
| 39 |
Ontario, CA |
Mar 5, 1972 |
25th superspeedway
win; fourth and last with Foyt. |
| 40 |
Darlington, SC |
Apr 16, 1972 |
Pearson wins from
pole in 1st start for Woods. |
| 44 |
Brooklyn, MI |
Aug 20, 1972 |
30th superspeedway
win. |
| 45 |
Dover, DE |
Sep 17, 1972 |
Eighth superspeedway
win of season ties record. |
| 50 |
Talladega, AL |
May 6, 1973 |
Record 35th
superspeedway win; Holman-Moody set career mark of 34 in 1971;
Pearson ties record of four consecutive superspeedway wins. |
| 55 |
Dover, DE |
Sep 16, 1973 |
40th superspeedway
win. |
| 56 |
Rockingham, NC |
Oct 21, 1973 |
Record 10th
superspeedway win for 1 season. |
| 60 |
Daytona Beach,
FL |
Jul 4, 1974 |
45th superspeedway
win. |
| 65 |
Brooklyn, MI |
Jun 15, 1975 |
50th superspeedway
win. |
| 70 |
Darlington, SC |
Apr 11, 1976 |
55th superspeedway
win. |
| 75 |
Darlington, SC |
Sep 6, 1976 |
Win Triple Crown
(Daytona 500, World 600, Southern 500); 60th superspeedway win. |
| 76 |
Ontario, CA |
Nov 21, 1976 |
Tie own superspeedway
record of 10 wins in 1 season. |
| 79 |
Rocingham, NC |
Mar 5, 1978 |
100th career win for
Pearson. |
| 80 |
Dover, DE |
May 21, 1978 |
65th superspeedway
win. |
| 82 |
Brooklyn, MI |
Aug 20, 1978 |
Pearson’s 42nd
superspeedway win and 43rd overall as Woods’ driver; record 26th
super race won from pole, 18 by Pearson. |
| 83 |
Dover, DE |
May 20, 1979 |
N. Bonnett wins first
race in third start for Woods. |
| 85 |
Atlanta, GA |
Nov 4, 1979 |
70th superspeedway
win. |
| 90 |
Atlanta, GA |
Nov 8, 1981 |
75th superspeedway
win. |
| 91 |
Charlotte, NC |
May 30, 1982 |
Bonnett’s ninth and
last win for Woods. |
| 92 |
Daytona Beach,
FL |
Jul 4, 1983 |
Buddy Baker’s only
win in two seasons (1983-84) with Woods. |
| 93 |
Richmond, VA |
Feb 23, 1986 |
Kyle Petty wins first
race in 30th start for Woods; win ends 61-race drought. |
| 94 |
Charlotte, NC |
May 24, 1987 |
Petty breaks Woods’
losing streak at 72 races on superspeedways; Petty’s second and
last win with Woods. |
| 95 |
Brooklyn, MI |
Aug 18, 1991 |
Dale Jarrett wins
first race in 43rd start for Woods. |
| 96 |
Atlanta, GA |
Mar 20, 1993 |
Morgan Shepherd wins
first race in 33rd start for Woods; record 80th win for Woods on
tracks of a mile or longer. |
| - |
New York City |
Dec 2, 1994 |
Exceed $1 million in
prize money first time. |
| - |
New York City |
Dec 1, 1995 |
Won The Bill France
Award of Excellence |
| - |
Charlotte, NC |
May 18, 1996 |
In Michael Waltrip’s
first season as driver, won The Winston Select all-star race
first time and $200,000. |
| - |
RICHMOND, VA |
Sep 9, 1999 |
Received Spirit of
Ford Award. |
| - |
2000 Racing
Season |
Jan 1, 2000 |
Wood Brothers Racing
celebrates 50 Years in racing. |
| - |
Novi, MI |
Jun 1, 2000 |
Glen & Leonard
inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame |
| 97 |
Bristol |
Mar 25, 2001 |
Elliott Sadler’s
first Winston Cup victory, and first victory with Motorcraft |
| - |
Darlington, SC |
Sep 1, 2001 |
Glen inducted into
NMPA Hall of Fame |
| - |
Darlington, SC |
Sep 1, 2001 |
Leonard inducted into
NMPA Hall of Fame |
| - |
Stuart, VA |
Jan 1, 1950 |
1950 to present –
only raced Ford products |
| - |
Stuart, VA |
Jan 1, 1950 |
1950 to present – Six
decades of winning |
Nascar Nextel Cup Series Tickets
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