Glen Wood (born Glenn Alexandria Wood, July 18, 1925 – January 18, 2019) was an American NASCAR driver and team owner from Stuart, Virginia. He is best known as the co-founder, alongside his brother Leonard Wood, of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing team, one of the most enduring and respected organizations in stock-car racing history.
Early Life and Racing Career
Wood began his NASCAR career in the early 1950s, competing in the Grand National Series (now the NASCAR Cup Series) from 1953 to 1964. Over an eleven-year driving career, he entered 62 races and recorded four wins, all of which came at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He also accumulated 14 poles and 34 top-ten finishes. In addition to his Grand National career, Wood competed in the Convertible Series from 1956 to 1959, where he achieved additional success.
Wood Brothers Racing
In 1953, Wood and his brother Leonard co-founded Wood Brothers Racing. The team grew from humble beginnings into one of the most innovative and successful operations in NASCAR history. The organization became particularly renowned for its pioneering pit-stop techniques, which revolutionized the speed and efficiency of pit road service in stock-car racing. Wood Brothers Racing is recognized as the longest-running team in NASCAR history.
Awards and Recognition
Wood received numerous honors throughout his life, including:
- Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
- Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2000)
- Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2002)
- Inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (2006)
- Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2012)
- Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023, posthumously)
- Named the 1958 Grand National Series Most Popular Driver
Death
Glen Wood died on January 18, 2019, at the age of 93, following a battle with illnesses. His legacy endures through Wood Brothers Racing, which continues to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series.
