By Staff Reports

Racing icon and Patrick County native Glenn Wood died Friday at his home in Stuart, but his impact will remain for generations.

“What he and his family have done for this sport, and the impact he personally leaves, is remarkable and cannot be understated,” Clay Campbell, president of the Martinsville Speedway, said.

Wood, who was 93, decided to try racing in 1950.

Then, he and his brother, Leonard Wood, co-founded the team. Glenn Wood was the driver, and Leonard Wood was the crew-chief and engine builder, according to online reports.

Glenn Wood went on to race on the beach in Daytona, win four races on the fledgling NASCAR circuit and become one of NASCAR’S 50 Greatest Drivers. He gave up his driving duties following the 1964 season, and in 1965 he became a full-time owner, according to online reports.

Wood was “one of the most iconic figures in NASCAR,” Campbell said, recalling memories that hearkened to his childhood.

Then, “Glenn would often call up my grandfather, H. Clay Earles, and ask if they could come down and run a few laps. My grandfather would tell them, ‘yeah, just close the gate and lock it up when you’re done,’” Campbell recalled.

“Seeing his cars in my youth is the reason that candy apple red became my favorite color and I’ll never forget his number 21 modified,” Campbell said, adding that more recently, it was always a pleasure to see Wood at the track.

“We spoke often not just at Martinsville, but at other tracks on the circuit,” Campbell said, and added that “even into his 90s, Glenn was truly a legend and someone the Martinsville Speedway family will never forget. Glenn will be missed, but his legacy in NASCAR and in our community will live on forever.”

In addition to Campbell, condolences poured in Friday in every form, as the NASCAR world reacted to the loss of a legend.

Jim France, chairman and CEO of NASCAR, said Wood was an original “in every way. In building the famed Wood Brothers Racing at the very beginnings of our sport, Glenn laid a foundation for NASCAR excellence that remains to this day. As both a driver and a team owner, he was, and always will be, the gold standard.”

France noted that “even more significant than his exemplary on-track record, he was a true gentleman and a close confidant to my father, mother and brother. On behalf of the France family and all of NASCAR, I send my condolences to the entire Wood family for the loss of a NASCAR giant.”

Wood was the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He also was a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, and last year was selected, along with Leonard Wood, to receive the 43rd Distinguished Patrick Countian Award.