For 70 years Wood Brothers Racing has excelled in – and transformed – the world of motorsports. As the longest tenured team in NASCAR history, the Wood Brothers have compiled a literal Hall of Fame resume both on and off the track. Beyond their countless trophies and accolades, innovations including the modern pit stop continue to define the Wood’s legacy in racing series across the globe.
For their accomplishments across seven decades, Wood Brothers Racing has been named the 2020 recipient of the FIA Founding Members Club Heritage Cup. The award is presented to an individual, institution, entity or object in recognition of exceptional or outstanding achievement within or contribution to the historic vehicle world.
“It truly is an honor to win this award,” said Eddie Wood, Wood Brothers Racing president and co-owner, and son of team founder Glen Wood. “The fact that it’s a worldwide honor makes it even more special. We’re mainly known in American motorsports, but this is much bigger than that.”
Wood was a child when the team helped Jim Clark win the 1965 Indianapolis 500, but recalls the attention it brought his father’s team.
“I was young when Indy was going on, but I remember him talking about the worldwide recognition they received,” Wood said. “He was honored for people around the world to have heard of him and his brothers and what they were doing.”
Glen also lent his expertise to the Ford factory team at Le Mans in 1966 when the GT40 Mark II teams swept the top three finishing positions in the iconic 24-hour event. The team’s affiliation with Ford Motor Company continues to this day, seventy years strong.
In support of their nomination for the prestigious award, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France wrote, “Having worked with them for almost 60 years, I can personally attest to their great character and dedication to motorsports. I can think of no group more deserving of the FIA Founding Members Club Heritage Cup Award.”
Wood Brothers Racing has always had a knack for attracting the greatest racing talent in the world. Ten NASCAR Hall of Famers have taken the wheel for the team (Glen Wood, Curtis Turner, Junior Johnson, Joe Weatherly, Fred Lorenzen, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Dale Jarrett and Bill Elliott) as well as some of the biggest names in open wheel racing – A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones.
The team remains committed to the preservation of motorsports history. Its one-time shop has been converted into a museum that traces the Wood’s time in motorsports. They have also built replica cars for the NASCAR Hall of Fame and The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Michigan.
