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Countdown To Michigan International Speedway: Wood Brothers Racing’s Long And Successful History At MIS
When Eddie Wood finished college in June 1972, he didn’t go to his graduation ceremony. He went to Michigan International Speedway, where he officially joined his family’s race team – Wood Brothers Racing – as a full-time employee for the first time.
Eddie, one of the sons of team co-founder Glen Wood, rode up from Virginia to Michigan in a small truck with the No. 21 car in tow – teams didn’t fly to races in those days – and, upon arrival, laid his eyes on the 2-mile track for the first time.
“That was my first real race,” he said. “I’d been going to races since the late 60s – on the pit crew or just being in the pits – but this was the first time I really got to work on the car.”
Behind the wheel that day was the team’s new driver – David Pearson – and he led 155 of the 200 laps to help the Wood Brothers beat Bobby Allison and Richard Petty to the finish line.
In his first “official” race of a long career in NASCAR – which continues today – Eddie was suddenly one-for-one.
“I’m sure they would have won the race anyway,” Eddie said with a laugh. “It wasn’t like I did anything, I’m sure.”
Pearson’s Michigan win was one of 11 total Wood Brothers victories at MIS (the team also won at Michigan with Cale Yarborough and, years later, Dale Jarrett). In fact, from 1972-76, the team won seven of the nine races at Michigan.
Why do we bring this up? Because for many fans, Michigan wouldn’t be the first place that might come to mind when asked to recall historic tracks.
But you need look no further than the famed Wood Brothers to realize Michigan ranks among the most venerable of NASCAR venues.
"It's been around a lot longer than you've probably thought about," said Eddie, who now runs Wood Brothers Racing with his brother, Len. "Our team won a lot of races there. To me, Michigan is right up there with Daytona and Darlington and Talladega – the places that were always good to us."
Michigan – which has been on the NASCAR schedule since 1969 – is behind only Daytona (15 wins) and Atlanta (12) in Wood Brothers Racing’s history.
So why was the team so successful at Michigan?
“Michigan is the type of racetrack with long, sweeping corners that you’re in the throttle so long there,” Eddie said. “And we always had really good engines. It just fit.”
Eddie noted Michigan’s significance to the sport because it was the “first big race up north,” he said. At the time, Dover was as far north as NASCAR got – which is to say it was still very much a Southern sport.
“You didn’t really have anything else up there,” he said. “What I remember is they always sold the place out. I don’t know how many seats they had, but it was kind of the state-of-the-art racetrack then. It was a 2-mile, high-banked oval. And there weren’t any like that.
“It’s just always been a special place.”
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