There came a moment early in Glen Wood’s career when he discovered how to add time to his 24-hour day. Instead of signing autographs G-L-E-N-N, he began signing G-L-E-N.
“I figured I’d be signing autographs all my life,” the patriarch of Wood Brothers Racing revealed several years ago, “and I knew I’d save time by dropping the last ‘n.’ You know, saving a second here and a second there every time you sign your name eventually adds up.”
That's the innovative, forward-looking philosophy I admire. It's proof people are thinking ahead, and planning to win.
Wood had a modest Cup Series driving career between 1953 and 1964 (four victories in 62 starts) before stepping aside to become one of the sport’s most successful owners. His first Cup start was in a Lincoln in 1953, when he finished 30th in the 35-car field. His last was in a Ford where he won the pole and finished third in August of 1964. All four of his victories came in Winston-Salem, N.C., three in 1960, the other in 1963.
As owner and hands-on team manager, he brought many of the sport’s greatest drivers to the team’s No. 21 Cup Series Fords and Mercurys that were lovingly tuned by Leonard, a Hall of Fame crew chief. Among their drivers: A.J. Foyt, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Rahal, Parnelli Jones, Donnie Allison, Junior Johnson, Dale Jarrett, Bill Elliott, Ricky Rudd and Fred Lorenzen, plus the late Dan Gurney, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly and Neil Bonnett.
Wood Brothers Racing goes into the 2019 season with 99 Cup Series victories, including Daytona 500s with Yarborough, Pearson, Foyt, Tiny Lund and Trevor Bayne. It has won at least one Cup Series race in each of the last six decades, a streak that grows to seven decades if NASCAR-sanctioned Modified, Sportsmen and Convertible competition is included.
https://autoweek.com/article/nascar-sprint-cup/nascar-owner-glen-wood-marks-68-consecutive-years-daytona
https://autoweek.com/article/monster-energy-nascar-cup/nascar-legend-glen-wood-dies-93
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