Leonard Wood | |
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| Born | Leonard Earle Wood (1934-09-22)September 22, 1934 (age 91) Stuart, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Crew chief, engine builder |
| Organization | Wood Brothers Racing |
Leonard Earle Wood (born September 22, 1934) is an American formerNASCAR crew chief, engine builder and co-founder ofWood Brothers Racing.[1] Considered the innovator of the modernpit stop, Wood's team is recognized as the first to record a 25-second four-tire pit stop in NASCAR history.[2] During his tenure as crew chief, the Wood team won 96races with 117poles clinched.[3]
Wood was born on September 22, 1934, on a family farm nearStuart, Virginia as one of six children (five sons and one daughter),[4] and began building vehicles when he built a wagon with logs for wheels, which is intended to roll downhill. When he was 13, Wood placed awashing machine engine on a go-kart frame and used various pulleys and chains from salvaged vehicles at his father's shop to propel the vehicle, which was able to reach a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). The go-kart is currently on display in Stuart's Wood Brothers Museum.[1] In high school, Wood learned to build an engine from watching his father, Walter, disassemble the engine fromthe team's car and successfully rebuild it.[3]
In 1950, Wood and two of his brothers,Glen and Delano, purchased a1940 Ford, which was later modified and used inNASCAR,[1] and the team made its first start in aLincoln atMartinsville Speedway on May 17, 1953.[5] Wood was the team's engine builder, and the team'spit crew, originally composed of family and friends,[6] became the first team in NASCAR history to record a 25-second four-tire pit stop.[2] Wood stated that in 1960 atCharlotte Motor Speedway, he noticed thatFireball Roberts', had the lead at the time, pit crew took 45 seconds to change two tires and fuel; Roberts' team was using a four-pronglug wrench, so Wood's team decided to usepower wrenches, which cut down the time to 25 seconds.[7] Wood later modernized thefloor jack; originally, jacks weighed between 70 and 80 pounds, and required at least ten pumps for tire clearance. Wood disassembled the jacks and installed larger pistons, leading to only two to three pumps to clear.[3] In 1965, Wood's team was hired byJim Clark to pit for him in the1965 Indianapolis 500, which went on to win.[8] The team used a modified fuel can to make the gas flow faster.[9]
In 2006, Wood was inducted into theVirginia Sports Hall of Fame. On May 23, 2012, Wood was named as one of the members of the 2013NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees, and was inducted on February 8, 2013. Wood earned 57 percent of the votes, tied withHerb Thomas.[10] At the2012 Brickyard 400, Wood Brothers Racing honored Wood with a special paint scheme with candy apple red instead of metal-flake red, which the team switched to in 1971, and Wood's head shot on the hood.[11]
He was inducted into theMotorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2000, along with his brother Glen.[12]