NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Glen Wood |
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Topics: Glen Wood, NASCAR
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Glen Wood
Leonard Wood
January 20, 2012
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
MIKE JOY: When you consider that the Glen Wood Company was a single car team and for many seasons ran a partial schedule of most of the Cup races, 98 premier series victories over seven decades, well, those are the numbers. Behind the man that founded an organization that through three generations has done so much to define NASCAR as a family sport.
I think half of Patrick County is here tonight to honor the pride of Stuart, Virginia, Glen Wood.
LEONARD WOOD: Good evening, everyone. I'd just like to‑‑ what a night this is. I mean, we've got like must be half of Patrick County here. I would just like to say, this is one awesome Hall of Fame. They've done such a great job of recognizing all the competitors, and there's so much to be seen in this place that it's well worth the tour. I'd like to congratulate all the inductees. All very deserving.
I was highly honored when Glen asked me to induct him into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and I told him I'd be more than happy to do so. Glen has always been my big brother, and he still is. Glen started racing 61 years ago. Glen and his partner, Chris Williams and I, were riding down the road. Chris says, what we've got to do is get some fame, and I'll have to say, this is as good as it gets.
Glen and I worked really well together. We believed in each other, and we was at Bowman Gray practicing, and when he was on the racetrack his brakes would go to the floor. He'd come in the pits, and he'd say, I know you think I'm lying to you, but when he come in the pits he had full pedal, and I said, no, Glen, I know you're not lying to me.
So the problem was the exhaust was blowing back on the master ceiling heating the fluid. So we just take the exhaust completely off, he goes out and wins the race. And I've got to tell you, nobody was better at Bowman Gray than Mr.Glen.
He had great success at Daytona Beach, he went down there three years in a row, he sat on the pole, won his class. In '58 he sat on the pole and beat the record with 12 miles an hour, beat all the modified, finished first, and then third overall. And then also in '59 he sat on pole at the new track in a convertible race.
And of course I know you guys have already figured it out that Glen and I both talk slow. We went to Indianapolis, picked Jim Clark. We just learned recently that when they heard us talk, they were talking to theirself, I sure hope they can pit faster than they're talking.
Glen has been supporting this sport for a long, long time. They were having races on the beach back in 1947 before NASCAR was formed, and he's been to Daytona every year since. Not only did Glen win 96 races as a driver, but he provided the opportunity for a lot of young drivers to win their first race. 75 drivers have driven for the Wood Brothers, 20 of which were the NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers. The Wood Brothers feel extremely honored to have all those drivers driving for us, and I would like to point out there's a lot of former Wood Brothers drivers here tonight, and it's certainly a pleasure to see them. I would like to have time to tell a story on one or two of them, but as slow as I talk, we'd be here all night.
Glen was always fair, honest, gave good advice, needed no more than a handshake. Glen was a great race car driver, great businessman, proud of his family Eddie, Len, daughter Kim, his wife Bernice, and Glen was so proud of Eddie, Len and Kim for winning this past Daytona 500.
And speaking of this Daytona 500, Richard Petty, I would like to thank you for walking my brother Glen to the winner's circle, one of the most celebrated winner's circles ever. And now on behalf of Eddie, Len, Kim, Bernice, the entire Wood Brothers race team and myself, it is now my honor on this, the 20th day of January, 2012, to present the Hall of Fame inductee ring and thus officially inducting one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers, my big brother, Glen Wood.
GLEN WOOD: This is a long way from the cornfield. Thank you, Leonard. First of all, I'd like to thank the voters that voted for me and thank NASCAR and the France family and the Wood Brothers, all the employees at the Wood Brothers and crew members and drivers. We've had so many great drivers, but David and Cale were most successful, so I'm proud to join them in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. And 17 other drivers have won races in Wood Brothers cars, starting with Speedy Thompson, Joe Weatherly, Tiny Lund, Marvin Panch. I think he's here, Dan Gurney, Curtis Turner, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Donnie Allison, Neil Bonnett, Buddy Baker, Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett, Morgan Shepherd, Michael Waltrip, Elliott Sadler and Trevor Bayne, who won the last Daytona 500. There's others who have driven our car, too, Jim Massey, Junior Johnson, Fred Lorenzen, Fireball Roberts, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, Bill Elliott, Boris Said, Marcos Ambrose and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. So you see why I had to read that.
And many thanks to Holman-Moody, who has helped me a lot in the old days and all their employees, especially engine builder Tommy Turner and Howard Dehart, and thanks to Jack Roush for his support over the years.
And we couldn't have done this without sponsors over the years. Purolator with Paul Cameron and Citgo with Larry Britton, and I think he's here tonight. And our current sponsors, Ford Motor Company, Motorcraft and Quick Lane.
I would like to acknowledge some of the old guys at Ford in the 1960s, Charlie Gray, Don Worman, Jack Pasinow, Mose Nolan, Don Sutherland and Peter DePaulo. And a special thanks to the current leaders at Ford Motor Company, Alan Mullaly, Mark Fields Jim Farlane, Edsel Ford, Jamie Allison and the rest of the Ford racing staff.
Ford gave me a chance in 1956 when they asked me to be a part of the Ford racing team, which has led to this induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and I'm proud to have been with Ford Motor Company for the last 60 years. We started racing in 1950, and I'd like to thank all my friends and fans from the past 60 some years, and especially from Patrick County.
A special thanks to all my brothers, Ray Lee, Clay and Delano and Leonard and my sister Crystal. I've said it before, had it not been for Leonard and Ford Motor Company, I wouldn't have been here today. And to my family, Bernice, Eddie, Len and Kim, and Carol, Nancy and Terry and to my grandchildren John, Kevin and Jordan.
I would like to thank Quinn Collins for use of the biography the other day for all his hard work, and I'd like to thank the guest speakers who had such good words to say about me. And to all the NASCAR Hall of Fame staff here, too. They've been pampering me like I've never been before.
Now, this is not just about me being inducted in the Hall of Fame. It's also about the Wood Brothers. And it's about NASCAR. And I'm proud to have been a NASCAR driver and car owner for the past 60 years, and I'm proud of this great honor, and this is about two families, the Wood family and the Ford family working together, which has resulted in me being here tonight. Thank you.