Fast Facts: Leonard Wood, 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee

Leonard Wood (l) joins brother Glen in the
NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR/John Harrelson

Leonard Wood joins his brother Glen Wood as a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame on February 8, 2013. Part of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team, Wood was responsible for one of the great innovations in NASCAR in the 1960s. Learn more about Leonard Wood, who joins the Hall of Fame along with Cotton Owens, Buck Baker, Herb Thomas and Rusty Wallace, in this week’s Fast Facts.

  • Leonard Wood was born September 22, 1934 near Stuart, Virginia, one of six children (with four brothers and one sister) born to Walter and Ada Wood. Leonard, along with brothers Glen, Delano, Clay and Ray Lee, formed Wood Brothers Racing in 1950.
  • Wood Brothers Racing eventually became a full-time job for Leonard and Glen, who was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012. Leonard was responsible for building the team’s engines, and on race day served as crew chief for the team. In 1960, he used power wrenches during a pit stop, which shaved approximately 20 seconds off the time for two tires and fuel; he was also the first to use a light-weight jack during a pit stop. His innovations were so successful that the team was asked to serve as pit crew for Jim Clark in the 1965 Indianapolis 500; Clark went on to win the race.
  • Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest NASCAR team still in operation. The team last visited victory lane in 2011, when Trevor Bayne won a popular victory at the Daytona 500 in February. Bayne returns to the Wood Brothers in 2013, running a part-time schedule in the famed No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion.
  • Find out more about Leonard Wood and the Wood Brothers at www.woodbrothersracing.com.

Fast Facts: Leonard Wood, 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Fast Facts: Leonard Wood, 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Reviewed by Paula on Tuesday, January 29, 2013 Rating: 5