Showing posts with label Woods Brothers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Woods Brothers. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Wood Brothers Racing to Serve as Dignitaries for NASCAR All-Star Race

Wood Brothers Racing to Serve as Dignitaries for #NASCAR All-Star Race

Legendary Track Honors Legendary Team

The Wood family — (left to right) Keven Wood, Jordan (Wood) Hicks, Jon Wood,
Kim Wood Hall, Len Wood and Eddie Wood — will help kick off the All-Star Race
on Sunday, May 18, in celebration of Wood Brothers Racing’s 75th year.

 

As Wood Brothers Racing celebrates their 75th year in 2025, North Wilkesboro Speedway will honor the team with dignitary roles for the NASCAR All-Star Race on May 18. Founded in 1950 by brothers Glenn and Leonard Wood, the oldest active NASCAR team has participated in races at the historic facility since 1957, shortly after the track was paved for the first time.

 

Wood Brothers Racing remains a family-run organization, with Glenn’s sons Eddie and Len Wood serving as chief executive officer and chief operating officer, respectively. Their sister, Kim Wood, is the team’s chief financial officer. Eddie’s children, Jon and Jordan, work alongside them as team president and chief marketing officer.

 

Len will serve as the honorary starter for the NASCAR All-Star Race, while Eddie will be the honorary pace car driver in a Ford Mustang Dark Horse. Team President Jon Wood and former All-Star Race winner and NASCAR on FOX analyst Michael Waltrip will give the command to start engines as Grand Marshals for the main event.

 

“North Wilkesboro holds a special place in the history of our team and the sport, and it’s one of those tracks where NASCAR’s roots run deep,” said Jon Wood, “My family has been fortunate to be part of some incredible moments there over the years. As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, it means a great deal to be recognized at a place that helped shape the sport and our team into what it is today.”

 

During the race, Josh Berry will pilot the No. 21 with a special throwback paint scheme to Michael Waltrip’s 1996 All-Star Race win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

A Star-Studded Team in NASCAR’s All-Star Event

The Wood Brothers have been part of the NASCAR All-Star event since its second running, making their first appearance with Kyle Petty in 1986. They would later make appearances in the exhibition event with some of NASCAR’s most notable names, including Neil Bonnett, Morgan Shepherd, Michael Waltrip, Elliott Sadler, Ricky Rudd, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney and Matt DiBenedetto.

 

In 1996, Waltrip picked up an unlikely win in the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his first victory at the Cup level. He transferred from the Open after finishing fifth and then led the final nine laps to take the victory over Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, after executing a three-wide pass to take the lead. He was the first driver to transfer from the Open and win the race.

 

More recently, in 2017, driving for the historic team, Ryan Blaney won the first segment of the Open and transferred to the All-Star Race. In 2020, DiBenedetto won the Open and transferred to the main event, and in 2021, he won the fan vote in the team’s most recent All-Star Race appearance.

 





A Historic Team at a Legendary Race Track

Between 1957 and 1996, Wood Brothers Racing recorded 46 starts, two wins, 14 top-five finishes and 23 top-10 finishes at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Team founder Glenn Wood won two poles at the venue in 1958 and 1959. Other legendary drivers competing for the Wood Brothers at North Wilkesboro Speedway included Marvin Panch, who recorded both team wins at the track in 1963 and 1964; Joe Weatherly; Curtis Turner; Tiny Lund; Cale Yarborough; Buddy Baker; Kyle Petty; Bonnett; Dale Jarrett; Shepherd; and Waltrip.

 

Since the revival of the venerable venue, Harrison Burton competed in the Open for the Wood Brothers in both 2023 and 2024. In 2025, Berry will pilot the famous No. 21 at North Wilkesboro Speedway for the All-Star Race, striving to create yet another unforgettable moment for the historic team at the legendary race track.

 

The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race will feature more on-track action than ever before. In addition to all the NASCAR Cup Series activity, fans can enjoy zMAX CARS Tour feature races both Thursday, with The Reverend Whiskey 75 (Pro Late Models) and Friday, with the Window World 100 (Late Model Stock Cars), nights, along with the Window World 250 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race and a Jake Owen concert presented by Raymer Oil on the frontstretch Saturday.

 

 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Wood Brothers Racing to Celebrate Diamond Anniversary in 2025

Wood Brothers Racing to Celebrate Diamond Anniversary in 2025

Historic team to commemorate 75th anniversary with multiple initiatives

Wood Brothers Racing to Celebrate Diamond Anniversary in 2025 - #NASCAR

 

Wood Brothers Racing, the oldest active team in NASCAR and one of the winningest organizations in league history, will celebrate a diamond anniversary in 2025 as it enters its 75th season in competition with multiple fan-focused initiatives planned.

 

The season-long celebration will include a fan day at the team’s museum in Stuart, Virginia, special paint schemes, merchandise, digital content, an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, and more as the team honors its heritage and the fans who have been loyal supporters over the years.

 

“As we prepare for 2025, we’re reflecting on the moments that have shaped our team over the past 75 years while also looking to the future,” said Jon Wood, president, Wood Brothers Racing. “We’re excited to celebrate this milestone with our fans, partners, and those in the NASCAR community who have contributed to our story over the years.”

 

 

Wood Brothers Racing was founded in 1950 by Glenn Wood, whose humble beginnings were marked by determination and resilience. Glenn, along with his brothers Leonard, Delano, Clay, and Ray Lee, worked on their race cars under a giant beech tree on the family homestead in Buffalo Ridge, Virginia.

 

The Woods are widely credited for their development of the modern pit stop as their efficient, choreographed routines dramatically reduced the time it took to service a car on pit road, giving the team a competitive edge that changed the sport forever. As a result, Ford Motor Company brought in the Wood Brothers crew for the 1965 Indianapolis 500, where their techniques helped Jim Clark’s Ford-powered Lotus win open-wheel racing’s signature event.

 

Since those early days, the team has amassed 100 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series (eighth on the all-time wins list), including an impressive five triumphs in the prestigious DAYTONA 500, as well as victories in other marquee events. Many of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers have raced under the Wood Brothers banner, with several being enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with team patriarchs Glenn (2012) and Leonard (2013).

 

“The Wood Brothers Racing story is one of passion and perseverance. We’ve seen NASCAR evolve through the decades, and we’re proud to have played a role in shaping its history,” said Leonard Wood. “Celebrating 75 years gives us a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and to thank the fans who have supported us every step of the way.”

 

Wood Brothers Racing remains a predominantly family-run operation, with the second and third generations proudly carrying on the family tradition. The team continues to focus on racing, business, and fan engagement, honoring its storied past while maintaining a forward-looking vision for the future.

 

More details regarding 75th-anniversary celebrations will be announced in the near future.

 





 

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Milestones

Upcoming NASCAR Cup Series Milestones

2023 Still has Some Racing Milestones

100 wins and counting for the legendary @TeamChevy No. 24 (May 2023)

NASCAR Cup Series milestones to watch for this season – Below is a look at some of the anticipated NASCAR Cup Series milestones to watch for this season.

 

Driver Starts

Drivers that are expected to make milestone starts during this season are:

 

  • Daniel Suarez – 250th NASCAR Cup Series start – Martinsville Speedway (10/29)
  • Ryan Preece – 150th NASCAR Cup Series start – Martinsville Speedway (10/29)
  • Ty Gibbs – 50th NASCAR Cup Series start – Martinsville Speedway (10/29)
  • Denny Hamlin – 650th NASCAR Cup Series start – Phoenix Raceway (11/5)
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 400th NASCAR Cup Series start – Phoenix Raceway (11/5)




Driver Wins (10 or more)

  1. Kyle Busch (63)
  2. Kevin Harvick (60)
  3. Denny Hamlin (51)
  4. Brad Keselowski (35)
  5. Martin Truex Jr. (34)
  6. Joey Logano (32)
  7. Kyle Larson (22)
  8. Chase Elliott (18) 
  9. William Byron (10).

 

Organization Wins

Wood Brothers Racing is on the cusp a milestone victory in the NASCAR Cup Series and will look for their 100th NASCAR Cup Series win this weekend.

 

Hendrick Motorsports leads all active NASCAR Cup Series organizations in wins with 300, followed by: 

  1. Joe Gibbs Racing (207)
  2. RFK Racing (141)
  3. Team Penske (138)
  4. Richard Childress Racing (116)
  5. Wood Brothers Racing (99)
  6. Stewart-Haas Racing (69)
  7. Trackhouse Racing (5)
  8. 23XI Racing (5)
  9. Front Row Motorsports (4)
  10. JTG Daugherty Racing (2)
  11. Kaulig Racing (1)
  12. Spire Motorsports (1)

 

Manufacturer Wins

Closing in on NASCAR Cup Series win number 850, Chevrolet currently has 848 wins – the most all-time in the Cup Series. 

 

Ford has the second most wins all-time in the Cup Series at 727 and Toyota has the fifth-most all-time at 179 (behind Dodge at 217 and Plymouth at 191).

 

Car Number Wins

No. 99 car’s next win will be its 50th in the NASCAR Cup Series.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Rest in Peace - Glen Wood

Rest in Peace - Glen Wood UPDATE


Farewell “Master of the Madhouse”

Leonard and Glen wood with one of their early cars. #NASCAR
Leonard and Glen wood with one of their early cars.


Glen Wood (July 18, 1925 – January 18, 2019) was a NASCAR driver from Stuart, Virginia. He and brother Leonard Wood co-founded the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team, sixty-eight years ago in 1950 and entered the NASCAR Cup series in 1953.

Glen won four races over an eleven-year racing career. He scored all four of his triumphs in NASCAR’s top series at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His success at the tricky quarter-mile track helped to earn him the title of “Master of the Madhouse,” a nickname that also acknowledged his dominance there in the featured Modified Division.

Wood’s driving days ended in 1964 as the sport continued to grow away from his favored short tracks to larger speedways.

Notably, Wood Brothers Racing is credited with inventing the modern pit stop, which cut the time its cars were parked for tires and fuel in half.

Glen Wood drove for the team in its early years.  #nascar
Glen Wood drove for the team in its early years. (Getty Images)


In 1996, Wood was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In 1998, He was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. He was also inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

Wood Brothers Racing is recognized as the longest active NASCAR team, and is sitting on a record of 99 wins over 1,459 NASCAR Cup races entering this season. Current driver Paul Menard finished 19th in 2018.

Glen Wood died on January 18, 2019 at the age of Ninety-Three (93) after a battle with illnesses.


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Passing of Glen Wood











Thursday, March 29, 2018

Solid Run Earns Motorcraft Team a 13th-Place Finish at Martinsville

Solid Run Earns Motorcraft Team a 13th-Place Finish at Martinsville
Paul Menard and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team continued their forward progress this season with a solid 13th-place finish in Monday’s snow-delayed STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Solid Run Earns Motorcraft Team a 13th-Place Finish at Martinsville


Menard started 15th after qualifying was cancelled due to snow and rain and the line-up was set according to the points standings.

He raced his way into the top 10 at times and spent much of the 500-lap race just outside the top 10.

Most green-flag runs saw Paul Menard fade back a bit on fresh tires then pick up speed and positions as the laps went by.
Most green-flag runs saw Menard fade back a bit on fresh tires then pick up speed and positions as the laps went by.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said he continues to see improvement and building chemistry in what is essentially a new team.

After six races together, Menard, crew chief Greg Erwin and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team have two top-10 finishes and four top-20 finishes. Menard is 15th in the Monster Energy Cup standings.

Monday’s race was another race free of major mistakes for the No. 21 team.

“Paul did a great job,” Wood said. “Greg called a great race, and the pit crew gained spots on nearly every stop, which is hard to do at a tight place like Martinsville.

“We had another solid run, and this team is really impressive with the way everyone works together.

“We’re all looking forward to the rest of the season.”

After an Easter weekend break, Menard and the No. 21 Wood Brothers team return to the track for a 500-miler at Texas Motor Speedway on April 8.


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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Blaney Survives Martinsville Mayhem with Eighth-Place Finish

Sixth in the Playoff Standing; Only Six Points from the Cutoff Position

Blaney Survives Martinsville Mayhem with Eighth-Place Finish #NASCAR
Blaney Survives Martinsville Mayhem with Eighth-Place Finish  
Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team remain in contention for a spot in the championship round of the Monster Energy Cup playoffs after surviving a fender-banging First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Blaney scored points in the first two stages, lost a little speed midway through the race, then battled back into the top five for the start of an overtime run to the finish. But he was swept up in a multi-car crash at the finish line and wound up finishing eighth.

That put him sixth in the point’s standings but just six points shy of being in the top four.

Blaney Survives Martinsville Mayhem with Eighth-Place Finish #NASCARThe top four in the standings after the next two races – at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway – will compete for the title in Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Blaney started Sunday’s 500-lapper from the fourth position and scored nine critical points in both of the race’s 130-lap Stages. He was seventh in the first stage and sixth in the second.

Blaney Survives Martinsville Mayhem with Eighth-Place Finish #NASCARHe and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team battled back from a tire rub midway through the race and dropped out of the top 10 for a time. But on the final pit stop, crew chief Jeremy Bullins hit the target on the chassis set-up, and Blaney was able to drive his way into the top five for the start of an overtime run to the checkered flag.

Even with his involvement in the last-lap crash, Blaney dropped just three spots in the finishing order, preserving an impressive points day.

“The last handful of restarts were just pandemonium,” Blaney said. “It was pretty ridiculous with everyone wrecking each other and running into each other.

“I thought we were going to make it through the last one, but we just kind of got caught up off of [Turn] Four in all that stuff. At least we salvaged a decent day.



“Honestly, a lot of cars got torn up, but we’ll go on to Texas and see what we have.”

Blaney Survives Martinsville Mayhem with Eighth-Place Finish #NASCAR

The ending of the race, while disappointing, wasn’t what team co-owner Eddie Wood had on his mind as he left the track Sunday night.

“It was just a crazy weekend at Martinsville,” Wood said. “Ryan did a great job of keeping the car straight all day, and we can go to Texas still in a good spot in the point’s standings. And we had a great Fan Appreciation Day at the museum in Stuart on Friday. There was a huge crowd there, and a lot of kids having a great time. All it all, it was a good weekend.”

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Monday, June 12, 2017

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Winner Ryan Blaney – In Their Own Words

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Winner Ryan Blaney – In His Own Words

Interview with Ryan Blaney, Eddie Wood, Len Wood And Jeremy Bullins


Ryan Blaney’s first Monster Energy Cup Series victory earned the great Wood Brothers team its 99th Cup trophy.

 

Ryan Blaney’s first Monster Energy Cup Series victory earned the great Wood Brothers team its 99th Cup trophy. This was the team’s first win since a then 20-year-old Trevor Bayne stunned the racing world by winning the 2011 Daytona 500 in his first try.

Below they express their elation in their own words.


Question: Please walk us through the pass of Kyle Busch and holding off Kevin Harvick for the win.

Ryan Blaney: Yeah, so we did a great job -- I say we. Jeremy Bullins (Crew Chief) and everybody did a great job of positioning ourselves to start towards the front on tires. When the 18 stayed out, he looked to be the best car all day, and it's almost a curse when you're that good. Everyone just kind of does the opposite of what you do in that situation. We've been on the bad side of that before.

Once we got to second, I knew he was going to fall off pretty hard, and it was just a matter of getting by him before everyone else. All the other really fast cars on our strategy got to second, as well, or got to us. And it was a pretty good race to get by Kyle there at the end of the race, and then having to hold Kevin off was really tough. He was fast all day, and you just got to not mess up and hit your marks and take airway and props to him, he drove me really clean, and I have the utmost respect for him doing that, and I've seen him win countless races passing cars within the last 10 laps, and he does a great job with that. But thank you to him again for racing me clean.

But it was exciting in the car for sure. Hopefully it's exciting for the fans, and like we said, we just put ourselves in a spot to capitalize on it like we did today.


But it was exciting in the car for sure. Hopefully it's exciting for the fans, and like we said, we just put ourselves in a spot to capitalize on it like we did today. Ryan Blaney


Question: What has been the key to really getting this 21 car up front and in position to win week in and week out?

Jeremy Bullins: Just experience. I mean, we started this thing part-time in 2015, built a team, put people together, made changes here and there throughout, and have a group of people now that I feel like can compete as a team with anybody. We've had good cars all year. We've had good speed all year.

The last few weeks we've been really fast and just had some unfortunate things happen but felt like we were in a position a couple times to take advantage of that, and today we put it all together and overcame some stuff, and it all worked out.


LEN WOOD: You know, I think when he pulled those rookie stripes off in Daytona, it made a difference in him

Question: What makes Ryan so special?

LEN WOOD: You know, I think when he pulled those rookie stripes off in Daytona, it made a difference in him. I won't call it more aggressive, but it's kind of, and it shows every week. We've been fast everywhere we've been. We've had issues. We were very close to a win at Texas, very close at Kansas, and it kind of dawned on me, I said, we're not going to win a race where it's expected that day. We'll win somewhere that we don't expect it, and it was here today.

Every win you get is very, very special, and especially when you get like Ryan's first win, and we've had a number of kids that come through our car that won their first race in our car. Eddie Wood


Question: Is this better than winning the lottery, having your protégé in Victory Lane?

EDDIE WOOD: Yeah, this is way better. This will last forever. Every win you get is very, very special, and especially when you get like Ryan's first win, and we've had a number of kids that come through our car that won their first race in our car. Dale Jarrett did, Kyle did, and to be part of that, that now he's -- we can always say he won his first race with us, and it'll always be that way. But it was a great day, and like the radio thing, and I mean, it was just like us going back to the old days with no radios. You asked about which it was; we used to have a piece of gray tape on the dash that would have roof loose, door push, and that's what you went by. It just kind of took me back, and then right there at the end, the way he was trying to get away from Harvick and dropping down to the inside like that, Neil Bonnett did that in 1980 here, and went on to win the race. I don't know, it was just like I had flashbacks. It was really cool.



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Saturday, April 1, 2017

Wood Brothers and Blaney Looking Forward to Homecoming

Wood Brothers and Blaney Looking Forward to Homecoming They were seated behind the stage, in the media center, at Martinsville Speedway. A crew chief, Leonard Wood. Car owners, Eddie and Len Wood. A driver, Ryan Blaney. Had it been early on Sunday evening it would have been a perfect end to the weekend as the Wood Brothers and Blaney would have been celebrating a win in the STP 500.


Wood Brothers and Blaney Looking Forward to Homecoming

However, this was a Wednesday, and the foursome was on hand to promote race weekend and the Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang that will pace the race. That doesn’t mean reuniting in Sunday evening wasn’t on their minds.

Martinsville is a home race for the Wood family, who are from the Town of Stuart, just 25 miles away from the track.

“You guys probably don’t know it,” Hall of Famer Leonard said. “But, Glen and I were standing on the backstretch over here at the very first race ever run here 70 years ago, so I think it would be really cool for us -- 70 years later -- for us to be sitting right here Sunday evening after the race and put that Ford Fusion and Motorcraft Ford in front.”

“It’s a big race for us,” said Eddie, Leonard’s nephew and Hall of Fame driver Glen’s son said. “We live 25 miles from here. We’ve known Clay Campbell’s family all my life. We used to hang out with his grandfather. He was always out promoting the race and he would come to our shop in Stuart and we’d have lunch and play cards and do all kinds of things. It’s just great to be racing back here. We raced part-time for a while and now we’re back full-time. Probably the most special thing for us is to be back racing here. This is home.”

Blaney also looks at Martinsville as a homecoming of sorts. Not just because of the team he drives for, but because he’s from just across the state line, in High Point, N.C.

“High Point is about 45 minutes away from here,” Blaney said. “So, I grew up closer to here than I did Charlotte Motor Speedway, so this is kind of a home track for me. I have a lot of friends and family that come back and watch this race. I’ve been coming here ever since I can remember. This is probably the race I came to most as a kid just because it was so close to our house where I grew up and my dad was racing, so I do consider it a home race as well just because I grew up down the road, so that’s pretty neat.”

While Leonard has 70 years of experience at Martinsville, Blaney is a relative newcomer to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, and despite the nearly 60 years in age difference, the 23 year old Blaney still soaks up all of the knowledge he can from the 82 year old Wood when it comes to getting around Martinsville.

“How can you not,” Blaney asked rhetorically. “I’m not going to not listen to them. It’s been nice to have Leonard around and Eddie and Len around every single weekend. It’s been nice to get their feedback on things. That’s just more knowledge that they can put toward the team.”

Of course Leonard, in a way that only he can, offered an explanation as to why he can connect with a driver young enough to be his grandson.

“I think my personality is like when I was 30 years old,” he said. “I still feel like I have the same personality, but everything isn’t the same. I feel like I do carry on to the younger age.”

Of course the biggest piece of advice that Wood has passed down to Blaney is something that has been handed down from the first lap that was ever turned at Martinsville, 70 years ago.

“I think the best thing is just patience,” Blaney said. “That’s the biggest thing that everyone preaches here and I’ve heard it multiple times. That word is very key for this place.”

If the patience pays off, Leonard said there is no better time for the foursome to be reunited in the media center than this Sunday after the race. Celebrating a win. At home.

“I just think 70 years later would be a really good time to win,” Leonard said.

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