The Wood Brothers are almost synonymous with the sport of NASCAR big time racing, and their name recognition
in households across America is perhaps second only to that of the Petty’s, and even then there are those
that would disagree with that.
Along the way greats such as both Ned and Dale Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, A.J. Foyt, and
other luminaries too numerous to name drove for the Wood brothers, and they even manned the pits for Jimmy Clark in the Indy
500, and contributed in no small part to his victory.
Along the way greats such as both Ned and Dale Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, A.J. Foyt, and other
luminaries too numerous to name drove for the Wood brothers, and they even manned the pits for Jimmy Clark in the Indy 500,
and contributed in no small part to his victory.
Perhaps the pinnacle of their success, however, was with David Pearson behind the wheel.
Second only to Richard Petty with 105 wins—during the time that Petty himself was racking up most of his 200 wins, the
famous maroon and white Purolator #21 was the ride that gave Petty a run for his money.
Like the Petty’s, the “modern era” has proven to be especially challenging
for the Woods, and as others have fielded multiple teams with cubic dollars, the Wood Brothers continue to hang on, and race
Fords not because Ford has offered them the most money this year, but because, well, they are Ford Men.
Advertise on StockCar Review, SCR
has advertising rates starting as low as $12.00 per month. Email us at scr@stockcarreview.com for more
information.
The recent NASCAR practice of guaranteeing the top 35 in the Nextel Cup standings a spot
on Sunday has had the real world effect of potentially reducing the number of teams in the sport, and the Woods are in the
position of having to qualify their way in, and like teams with far more cubic dollars, have found that to be difficult.
2007 was to be the year that Jon Wood ran the family car, with guidance from Kenny Schrader,
an experienced shoe that both knows his way around the track - every track, paved or asphalt, that could guide Jon into the
dog-eat-dog world that is Nextel Cup.
But like life often does, things just didn’t work out that way. With the rich getting
richer and a larger number of well funded teams entering the fray, the Wood brothers found themselves out of the Top 35 and
on the sidelines.
Not in a financial or emotional position to miss races, and being old-school racers, they
called on old friend, Bill Elliott, to bring his talent (and Champion’s provisional) to get the team back on track.
Elliott will be the first to tell you that he has a great deal of respect for Kenny Schrader’s abilities and has followed
him a few times along the way, and Schrader will be the first to tell you that he understands the Woods situation, as he knows
how the bills roll in from a personal perspective as a car owner.
Meanwhile, Jon’s Cup aspirations are on hold, and racing in the Busch Series (or
“Cup light”) against the big dollars has become a challenge in its own right.
As if all of that was not enough, he climbed out of his ride last Friday due to severe
headaches brought on by, of all things, medicine for ADD (Adult Attention Deficit disorder).
Have the Woods lost touch with reality both off the track and behind the wheel?
Ironically, nothing could be further from the truth. In a statement,
Jon’s father, Eddie, said that Jon has been “misdiagnosed”.That
is reality!
As we head into the first decade of this century, there is more avoidance of reality than
not by society as a whole. Is little junior overactive? Give him a pill. Stomach bothering you? Take a pill. Are you male
and over 40…?
Similarly, is your relationship difficult? Seek “professional” help and they
will no doubt help you “find yourself”—and support a quick trip to the divorce courts as often as not.
The problem, of course, is that rather than becoming more self sufficient as a nation
we are turning to the government, an excuse, or a pill, and waiting for someone or something to “help”, and wondering
why it just is not working.
The Wood brothers know the answer. It lies within the strength that they brought to the
track in 1950 and still bring to the track today. It lies in the strength that they know was born into them, and the strength
that will stand Jon tall on his own two feet and return him to the track without the help of a miss-prescribed bottle of “help”
that was no help at all.
As you survey the next turn in your life, consider that the same inner strength that carries
the Woods is a choice that can be your choice… the racers choice.
2006 StockCar Review.
