Wood Brothers Racing News

Ken Schrader, Jon Wood News

July 14, 2006

Wood Bros. denies report: Despite published reports, Eddie Wood says the Wood Brothers have no intention of closing shop. (Orlando Sentinel)

July 6, 2006

Wood Bros. possible field zero cars in '07? Eddie Wood's family has been in the racing business on the NASCAR circuit since 1953. Team owner Eddie Wood said he's not sure it will last beyond this season. Wood said he doesn't have sponsorship lined up yet for next season and without it, the family operation might have to close. The team hopes to have two full-time Nextel Cup Series cars next year - one for Ken Schrader and a second for Wood's son, Jon. "We can't make a lot of plans until we get all those (sponsorship) deals in place," Wood said. "Ideally, we'd like a Fusion for Jon and another for Ken. Honestly, right now I can't begin to say what we're going to do next year, but I think we'll have something out there." (Augusta Chronicle)

June 29, 2006

AFSOC paint scheme on #21: The United States Air Force is outfitting its #21 race car with a different look when it rolls onto the track at the Pepsi 400 this weekend. The car's paint scheme synchronizes with the Air Force's Special Operations Command shield imprinted on the hood of the car. "We honor all of our Airmen when we run the Air Force paint scheme, but since this race falls so close to the 4th of July holiday; we decided to honor our special operations units. They are a group of folks who fly under the radar and rarely get the spotlight," said Capt. Jonathan Ness, Chief of Event Marketing Branch, Air Force Recruiting Service Strategic Communication Division. "AFSOC has more than 12,000 extremely well-trained and deployable Airmen who are matched and equipped with some highly specialized aircraft. And to top it off, they are always prepared for worldwide deployment," Captain. Ness said. In addition to honoring the special operations forces with a new paint scheme, Maj. Gen. Donald C. Wurster, AFSOC Vice Commander, plans to conduct a formal induction ceremony for 40 young men and women enlisting into the Air Force on race day. Air Force Special Operations Command which was established May 22, 1990 is a major command and the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command, a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, FL. (Wood Brothers)

May 11, 2006:

Little Debbie launches NASCAR fan merchandise site: Little Debbie, in conjunction with the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Team, announced the creation of their fan merchandise website featuring branded products from clothing to key chains. The site, now online, is registered as www.littledebbienascar.com. Featured products include Little Debbie race team apparel for men, women and children, and souvenir collectibles from key chains to a children’s No. 21 Little Debbie Ford Fusion authentic racing pedal car. “This is another way to connect with our fans in addition to our at-track offerings,” said Steve Vogt of McKee Foods, the parent company of Little Debbie. “Statistics have shown a steady climb in the number of e-commerce websites and their success at connecting with people’s purchasing decisions,” he added. In order to celebrate the kick-off of the site, www.littledebbienascar.com is offering three separate buyer-incentive programs to generate sales and create value-added benefits to their fan base. Incentives include a discount for volume orders, a Kenny Schrader autographed hero card for any order over $50 and a monthly “featured item”, in which a purchase leads to a free token gift. (Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Press Release)

May 2, 2006:

Hyder #21 Crew Chief fined and placed on probation: NASCAR announced that David Hyder, crew chief for the #21 Nextel Cup Series team, has been fined $5,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2006 for a rule violation at Phoenix International Raceway. Hyder violated Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20-10.8.4I (unapproved tire warming by using a portable heater) of the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Rule Book. The rule violation was discovered during the running of the Subway Fresh 500 on April 22. (NASCAR PR)

March 26, 2006:

2nd Wood Brothers team? Jon Wood fully expects to move to a full-time NASCAR Nextel Cup ride next season with his family's Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team. But it won't be in the team's #21 Ford Fusion, as was reported last week by a Texas newspaper. If all goes according to Hoyle, a second full-time sponsor will be lined up, Schrader will stay in the #21 and Wood will campaign a second team car, the number of which is to be determined. (Ford Racing)

March 23, 2006:

Wood in #21 next year? Busch Series regular Jon Wood [#47], third-generation member of NASCAR's Wood Brothers Racing, said Wednesday he is "90 percent sure" he will drive the #21 Ford full time in the Nextel Cup Series in 2007.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)

Dec.. 11, 2005:

McSwain Promoted, Hyder new crew chief for #21: Former crew chief Michael “Fatback” McSwain has been promoted to the position of Race Director for all of the teams under the Wood Brothers Racing/ST Motorsports/Wood Brothers/JTG Racing umbrella. And, David Hyder has been hired as crew chief for the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Fusion and driver Kenny Schrader. The announcement was made today by WBR co-owner Eddie Wood. “This was just the logical progression of events,” said Wood. “Hyder was Kenny Schrader’s crew chief in 2004, and they had a good thing going there. We wanted to keep the relationship between Kenny and David in tact. And at the same time, we are giving Fatback the title that goes with the work he has been doing in getting the Truck, Busch and Cup teams under one roof and ready for competition next year. He has coordinated the move to our new location while maintaining a leadership role in the fabrication and engineering of all of our racecars and trucks. These changes will just strengthen our Little Debbie/Motorcraft/US Air Force team in 2006.” David Hyder comes to the Wood Brothers operation after working with Schrader as crew chief at Bam Racing for over a year. Before that he was with the Petty Enterprises where he served as car chief for both the #43 and #45 Nextel Cup cars. The High Point, North Carolina native has a history in racing that spans close to 25 years. For 17 years he raced late model stock cars including stints in Hooters Pro Cup and the All Pro Series. “I am so pleased to be able to continue the working relationship Kenny and I started at BAM,” stated Hyder. And, I’m looking forward to working Eddie, Len, Fatback and everybody at Wood Brothers Racing. This is really a win – win situation for me.” (Ford Racing PR)

Nov. 18, 2005:

Schrader signs with Wood Brothers & Little Debbie: NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader has joined the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Team. He’ll drive the famed number 21 Ford Fusion during the 2006 Nextel Cup season. The car will be sponsored by the newest face in NASCAR ― Little Debbie®, America’s #1 snack cake. “I look forward to establishing a winning tradition with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing and Little Debbie® Snacks,” says Schrader. “Some of the most victorious drivers in NASCAR history have driven the Number 21 car. I intend to continue that winning tradition in 2006.” “Three years ago, I thought that 2005 could be my last season. However, when the opportunity to drive for the Wood Brothers and Little Debbie® presented itself, it made my decision to continue driving in the Nextel Cup Series very easy,” says Schrader. “There is always excitement when a new company realizes the marketing potential of NASCAR for increasing its business and then decides to enter the sport. This is going to be fun!”  Little Debbie® will be the primary sponsor of the Number 21 car for 19 races in 2006. Motorcraft Quality Parts and the U.S. Air Force will rotate their sponsorship of the Ford Fusion for the remaining races during the 2006 season. “We’ve been fans of NASCAR, the Wood Brothers, and Ken Schrader for many years, so sponsoring the Number 21 car is a way to show our support for a great sport, a great race team, and a great driver,” says McKee Food’s CEO Jack McKee. “From a business perspective, this is a perfect fit for our brand because NASCAR fans are Little Debbie® fans.”  (McKee Foods/Little Debbie)

Oct. 30, 2005:

Wood Brothers to move shop: The Wood Brothers racing team is moving to its third shop in the past two years. When the team decided to move from its long-time base in Stuart, Va., closer to the racing mecca around Concord, N.C., where most NASCAR teams are located, it took over Ricky Rudd's old shop in Mooresville. But those quarters proved to be too cramped. Team co-owner Len Wood said the new shop — which the team will share with ST Motorsports, a Busch Series team now working with the Woods — is 129,000 square feet versus the 30,000-square-foot building that now houses the team. It is about four miles from Lowe's Motor Speedway. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Oct. 29, 2005:

Schrader to Wood Brothers: Ken Schrader will be driving for the Wood brothers next season, replacing Ricky Rudd, sources close to the negotiations have confirmed. Neither the Wood brothers nor Schrader would discuss the situation. "It depends on what Ricky does," Schrader said. "We're waiting for Kenny or the Woods to make a comment, and then we'll comment," Tony Morgenthau, Schrader's current car owner, said. Rudd could now be key to the Chip Ganassi-Jack Roush-Roger Penske deadlock over drivers, if Rudd were willing to move to Ganassi's Texaco-sponsored team. Ganassi tried to hire Rudd a few years ago. Rudd spent several years as a Texaco-sponsored driver for Robert Yates. (Salem-Journal)

Oct. 22, 2005:

Rudd quiet about plans: After a solid qualifying lap put him on the outside of the front row for Sunday's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Ricky Rudd knew the questions about his future were coming. He was ready. "Let's talk about Martinsville. I know what's happening at Martinsville," Rudd said Friday with a laugh. "No disrespect to everybody. It's just not time to announce anything yet." Rudd, in his third season driving for Wood Brothers Racing and in his 31st season in Nextel Cup racing, said he realizes his fans want to know his plans. "We're very aware of the support we have from them and the last thing we want to do is make it appear like we're snubbing them or dusting them off," he said. "It's not intended that way. When everything comes out and all the hands get played, I think everyone will see there were reasons why things needed to be kept under wraps. The time has not come to divulge that. I wish I could." (USA Today)

Sep. 17, 2005:

21 Wood Brothers close to 3rd sponsorship: The Wood Brothers, #21 Ford with Ricky Rudd as the driver, are close to securing a final sponsor for next year. Motorcraft will return as a primary sponsor for a selected number of races, and the Air Force is expected to return as well. A third primary sponsor still is being sought. (Roanoke Times)

Aug 20, 2005

ST Motorsports and Wood Brothers Partnership, 2nd car: Wood Brothers Racing, one of the last holdouts among single-car teams in the Nextel Cup Series, will eventually start a second program, the team said on Friday at Michigan. Wood Brothers will merge with ST Motorsports' two-car Busch Series program to eventually include two-car teams in the Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck levels. The entire undertaking came under the direction of Ford Racing, which provides factory support to both ST Motorsports and the Wood Brothers.  It is not yet known when the two-car Nextel Cup team will take effect because the team is looking for a sponsor for the program. That fact alone puts a 2006 start unlikely. The Wood Brothers' first priority is to find additional funding for their No. 21 Ford in 2006. Team owner Eddie Wood says he hasn't had a chance to talk with driver Ricky Rudd about his status for 2006. "We have a little bit of work to do for the 21.The 21 needs to be fully-funded," said Greg Specht, performance operations manager for Ford. "That is a partial season deal and we have had to put together additional dollars." (NASCAR.com)

Aug 3, 2005

Wood Brothers looking to expand: Eddie Wood, co-owner of the Wood Brothers team, says that the team is looking to expand to a two-car team. "We're exploring that right now, but I don't see it happening for '06,'' Wood said in a statement from the team. "We're more concerned for the 21 car for '06 right now. But maybe by '07 we'll have a couple. I wouldn't want more than two. Two, I think, is enough to do what you want to do as far as having somebody to compare off of. When it gets down to it, each car goes to the race track, teammates or not. You hear a lot about teammates working together and you hear a lot about teammates not working together. It's all through the garage -- both sides of it. But, we would be looking in the next couple of years doing that.'' The Wood Brothers have primarily been a single-car team for more than 30 years. Ricky Rudd is the team's current driver. Rudd's three-year contract expires after this season and he's said he planned to decide if he wants to continue racing by late summer. (Roanoke Times)

July 9, 2005

Wood in the 21 in 2006?   No. 21 Ford: Now that Jon Wood appears to be out of the running for Martin's ride, the Stuart native becomes a likely candidate to drive for his family-owned team if 2005 becomes Ricky Rudd's last season. The 48-year-old Chesapeake native has said he will decide on his future by the end of the summer. "There's a strong possibility that if things work out, I could be in the 21," Wood told The Tampa Tribune yesterday. "That would be a really big deal because the Wood Brothers family and the racing team have both put a tremendous amount of effort into getting me where I am right now. So that would be cool to pay them back." (Times-Dispatch)

Feb. 25, 2005

Fatback Calling the Shots from Home: Ricky Rudd's crew chief underwent surgery Friday in Charlotte, N.C., to repair a disc in his lower back. But McSwain and the Wood Brothers team, determined the procedure not disrupt their routine in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, have arranged to use cell phones and two-way radios to keep McSwain on the job. "What we're trying to do now is have it where he'll actually be able to call the race from his home in North Carolina," explained Eddie Wood, the team's co-owner. McSwain, who was on the phone with Wood and members of his No. 21 Ford crew less than four hours after the surgery, also will be able to keep on eye on real-time timing and scoring by computer as well as watching the action live on Fox from his living room. The crew chief initially underwent surgery on the same disc late last year, but it didn't fix the problem. (USA Today)

Feb. 12, 2005

Wood Brothers Honors Fallen Hero: The Wood Brothers are honoring a fallen Marine from their hometown of Stuart, Va., with a decal on the No. 21 Ford.  The decal on Ricky Rudd's car honors U.S. Marine Corporal Jonathan W. Bowling, who was killed in Iraq in January.  ``Jonathan and his sisters went to school with our kids,'' Eddie Wood said. ``We've known the family forever. We were out West testing when they had the funeral so we couldn't go. ``Their whole family has always been very supportive of us, and we wanted to do something to honor Jonathan, so we had the decal made up for Speedweeks.''  Bowling, 23, was killed when insurgents ambushed a Marine convoy.  He joined the Martinsville (Va.) Police Department in 2002, hoping to gain the experience to fulfill his dream of becoming a Virginia state trooper like his father. He was also a volunteer firefighter and an elder at his church.  (Yahoo!)

Feb. 11, 2005

Air Force Back With Wood Brothers: The Air Force begins its fifth year as a NASCAR sponsor when the 2005 Nextel Cup season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.  After recruiting one of the most accomplished crew chiefs in the sport and making numerous off-season changes, the Air Force-sponsored Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 NASCAR team is focused on success, officials said. The driver of the car No. 21 is Ricky Rudd. (Air Force Link)

Featured Pages
NEXT Race Checkout the next upcoming NASCAR Nextel races.  Including race, stats, track information and much more! NASCAR Stats Who won?  Who has the most top 5's?  Checkout the NASCAR stats. Includes results, points and more!   for past NASCAR news...[click here]