Of the 20 drivers who’ve been lucky sufficient to win races with the Wooden Brothers Racing staff, almost half of them had been first-time winners, with Josh Berry being the newest. From there, it has been pretty break up on what the longer term held for these drivers as some by no means gained once more, whereas a pair went on to develop into NASCAR Cup Collection champions. It stays to be seen the place Berry will fall on this record, however this is a take a look at the opposite eight who kickstarted their Cup careers with a victory whereas driving for the Wooden Brothers:
Harrison Burton, Wooden Brothers Racing, DEX Imaging Ford Mustang
Photograph by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Burton now competes full-time within the NASCAR Xfinity Collection after scoring his one and solely win within the No. 21 final summer time, which got here after the staff determined to half methods with him following three years collectively. Right now, there are not any plans for him to return to the Cup Collection within the speedy future.
Race winner Ryan Blaney, Wooden Brothers Racing Ford
Photograph by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Blaney has after all gained many races since his time with the Wooden Brothers. The duo earned a top-ten factors end collectively earlier than Penske (who has a technical alliance with the #21) snatched him away. Blaney has since gone on to win 13 Cup races and even develop into champion in 2023.
Victory lane: race winner Trevor Bayne, Wooden Brothers Racing Ford
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
Relating to one-hit wonders, they do not get a lot larger than this. At some point after his twentieth birthday, Bayne drove the No. 21 Wooden Brothers Ford to its fifth 500 win as a staff. Nonetheless, Bayne was by no means in a position to recreate the magic of the day, having by no means gained once more regardless of almost 200 begins within the Cup Collection.
Elliott Sadler
Photograph by: Autostock
Sadler had a decent NASCAR profession after his 2001 victory, profitable two extra races with a unique staff [Yates Racing] and beginning 438 Cup races. He loved slightly extra success within the Xfinity Collection, almost profitable the title on a number of events. Sadler was additionally the start of an enchanting pattern as all 5 of the staff’s victories in the course of the twenty first century got here with 5 totally different drivers, and every had been first-time winners.
Dale Jarrett — 1991 Michigan
Becoming a member of Blaney, Jarrett is the one different driver listed right here to really parlay their first win with the Wooden Brothers right into a championship-winning profession. The second-generation racer has since joined his father within the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, having gained 32 Cup races, however solely the primary victory got here with the Wooden Brothers. In 1999, he grew to become a champion with Yates Racing.
Kyle Petty — 1986 Richmond
The son of Richard ‘The King’ Petty and the grandson of Lee Petty, there was a whole lot of stress on Kyle to dwell as much as the household identify. Though it wasn’t fairly the profession he might have hoped for, he nonetheless began over 800 Cup races and gained eight. Of the opposite first-time winners on this record, solely the 2 champions gained extra races. Petty can be the newest driver to win a number of races with the Wooden Brothers, because the others loved the remainder of their success elsewhere or by no means gained once more.
Tiny Lund — 1963 Daytona 500
Like Bayne, Lund earned his first Cup win within the sport’s largest race. Lund, who stood at 6ft 5in, definitely wasn’t ‘tiny,’ however he did know how one can wheel a race automobile within the early days of the game. He began 303 races, profitable 5 races with three totally different groups earlier than his tragic demise within the Talladega 500 in 1975.
Glen Wooden — 1960 Bowman Grey (x4)
Appropriately, the primary driver to ever win with the Wooden Brothers was after all one of many unique Wooden Brothers. Glen, who has since joined the NASCAR Corridor of Fame earlier than his passing in 2019, gained 4 races behind the wheel of the family-owned automobile (all at Bowman Grey). However his true legacy lies within the staff he and his brothers constructed.
What it means and what comes subsequent
Whereas not a points-paying race, Michael Waltrip additionally gained the 1996 All-Star Race with the Wooden Brothers, which got here 5 years earlier than his victory within the 2001 Daytona 500, which after all was overshadowed by the tragic demise of Dale Earnhardt.
So sure, the Wooden Brothers have a knack for giving drivers the chance to show their abilities, however they’ve additionally featured many legends resembling David Pearson and Cale Yarborough, in addition to worldwide racing stars like Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt. However these 9 drivers are those who started their profession with this iconic group.
Josh Berry, Wooden Brothers Racing Ford
Photograph by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photographs
However for staff co-owner Eddie Wooden, it is the first-time winners which might be actually particular to him. “That is one factor I am most likely most pleased with,” he mentioned. “We received a wall in our museum with the winners. I went a pair, three weeks in the past, already received an image of Josh [Berry] in a Motorcraft uniform able to go hoping we might get that first win.
“You by no means know when you are going to get one or if you are going to get one. I felt so good concerning the mixture with Miles [Stanley, crew chief] and Josh, like I mentioned some time in the past, they only clicked and you could possibly see it from the get-go. Simply felt like he was going to run up entrance. You bought to get in the precise spot to win a race. These races are so exhausting to win.”
However what makes this staff such an incredible leaping off level for the careers of so many drivers? Whereas each state of affairs is totally different, the truth that the Wooden Brothers are an old-fashioned staff has to play a job in all of it. They are not hiring pay drivers or asking for something aside from a gifted wheelman searching for an opportunity. Most of the time, they’re those to step up and grant that chance whereas bigger groups are unable or unwilling to take action. And as showcased by their 101 victories and 70+ years within the sport, they know what they’re doing when choosing a driver.
It is unclear the place Berry’s profession goes from right here, however the No. 21 appears to have constant velocity that it hasn’t had shortly. Maybe he’ll be the primary driver since Petty to win a number of races with the staff, or possibly he’ll go on and develop into a champion elsewhere like Blaney and Jarrett. There’s after all the possibility that he by no means wins once more, however most would wager in opposition to that. Or possibly he could possibly be the motive force to lastly ship the Wooden Brothers the one factor lacking from their illustrious trophy shelf — a NASCAR Cup Collection championship.
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