Walter and Ada Wood owned a farm near Woolwine and Stuart, Virginia, and raised five sons — Glen, Leonard, Delano, Clay, and Ray Lee — and one daughter, Crystal. The sons worked as mechanics, farmers, and lumbermen, honing their automotive skills in their father's garage. They were inspired by Curtis Turner, a local sawmill operator and champion racing driver known for a "win or crash" style, who later became a driver for the Wood Brothers and co-owned Charlotte Motor Speedway.
In the early 1950s the brothers bought their first car for $50 and numbered it accordingly, years before adopting the now-iconic No. 21. Drivers initially included friend Chris Williams and Glen Wood. Early victories came at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. Williams later sold his share to Glen Wood to return to his lumber business, and the team enlisted family and friends — including Wood's cousin Ralph Edwards — to fill crew roles. Their first permanent shop was located at the edge of Stuart, Virginia.
The Wood Brothers revolutionized the pit stop. In the early days of racing, drivers would turn off their cars and step out while crews worked at leisure. The Wood Brothers recognized that minimizing time off track could improve race position, and they developed and refined the quick, efficient pit stop that became a standard across all forms of racing. As other teams adopted the Wood method, the team continued to refine the practice.
In 1965, Lotus owner Colin Chapman hired the Wood Brothers to handle pit stops for Jim Clark during the Indianapolis 500. This was the first instance of a NASCAR stock car crew servicing an IndyCar team. Their speed and precision contributed to Clark's victory that year.
Following the Indianapolis 500, Wood Brothers Racing gained international recognition. They were featured in Sports Illustrated and built a roster of top drivers including Curtis Turner, Marvin Panch, Fireball Roberts, Parnelli Jones, Tiny Lund, Junior Johnson, Speedy Thompson, Fred Lorenzen, and Cale Yarborough. The team signed a long-term sponsorship deal with Purolator for the No. 21 car.
Open-wheel driver Dan Gurney drove the team's secondary No. 121 car on NASCAR road courses, winning every race he entered for the Wood Brothers — including the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway in 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968. In the 1968 season the team earned over $160,000 in single-season winnings.
In 1972, David Pearson became the full-time driver of the No. 21, launching one of motorsport's most successful partnerships. From 1972 to 1979 the team competed in 143 races, securing 46 wins and 51 poles, with race earnings exceeding $1.3 million.
In 1976, with Pearson still driving, the Wood Brothers achieved NASCAR's "Triple Crown" by winning the Daytona 500, the World 600 at Charlotte, and the Southern 500 at Darlington. The team was invited to the White House in the late 1970s at the request of President Jimmy Carter. Other legendary drivers who took turns in the No. 21 during the early 1970s included Donnie Allison and A.J. Foyt.
Neil Bonnett drove for the team from 1979 to 1982, competing in 83 races with nine victories and over $700,000 in winnings. The long-term Purolator sponsorship ended during this period. Warner Hodgdon's National Engineer then became a prominent sponsor, described as one of the richest sponsorship deals in NASCAR history at the time.
Buddy Baker replaced Bonnett for 1983–1984, winning the Firecracker 400 at Daytona before parting ways after two seasons. IndyCar driver Bobby Rahal briefly filled the seat for one race.
In 1985, Kyle Petty — grandson of Lee Petty and son of Richard Petty — was hired to drive the No. 21 full-time, representing a partnership between the two most successful families in NASCAR history. Sponsorship obligations with 7-Eleven required the team to temporarily adopt the No. 7. Petty won at Richmond Raceway in 1987 and at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1987. Petty left after four seasons and 115 races to drive for SABCO Racing, having earned over $1.3 million with the team.
After Neil Bonnett returned briefly in 1989–1990 but was forced out by injuries suffered at Darlington Raceway, Dale Jarrett replaced him. In their first full season together in 1991, Jarrett won at Michigan, the team's first victory in eight years. Jarrett departed to Joe Gibbs Racing after 53 races across two seasons.
Morgan Shepherd drove the No. 21 from 1992 to 1995, recording 52 top-ten finishes. Their sole win together came at the 1993 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a race delayed six days by a snowstorm. The team contracted Robert Yates Racing to supply engine parts during this period and implemented weight training routines for crew members.
Michael Waltrip, the younger brother of three-time champion Darrell Waltrip, drove the No. 21 from 1996 to 1998. Although the team did not achieve an official points-paying victory, Waltrip and the Wood Brothers won the 1996 Winston Select All-Star Race, earning $200,000. Over three seasons and 95 races the team accumulated over $3.7 million in winnings.
Virginia native Elliott Sadler joined the team for 1999. During this period the Wood Brothers built a new facility at the Stuart Industrial Park, which included a museum dedicated to team memorabilia curated by Bernice Wood and Kim Wood. Sadler won at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2001, the team's first victory at that track and their first win in eight years. The long-running Citgo Petroleum sponsorship ended during Sadler's tenure, replaced by Ford Motorcraft and the United States Air Force. In 2000 the team celebrated its 50th anniversary, and that year Glen Wood and Leonard Wood were inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Sadler's stint of 139 races was the longest single driver stint since David Pearson, earning over $9 million across four seasons.
Virginia native Ricky Rudd took over from 2003 to 2005. In 2004 the Wood Brothers relocated their primary operations from Stuart to Mooresville, North Carolina, keeping the Stuart facility as a museum and secondary shop. The team also secured its first pole position since 1984 in that season. Michael "Fatback" McSwain served as crew chief, having previously worked with Rudd at Robert Yates Racing. Rudd achieved two second-place finishes during his three seasons and announced his retirement after 2005.
In 2006 the team entered a partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing. Ken Schrader drove in 2006, and 1988 champion Bill Elliott drove from 2007 through portions of subsequent seasons during a partial schedule. The team competed on limited schedules from 2009 onward due to reduced sponsorship.
In 2011, Trevor Bayne became the youngest driver in Wood Brothers history and, on 20 February — one day after his 20th birthday — won the Daytona 500, the team's first victory since Bristol in 2001.
Ryan Blaney drove for the team from 2015 to 2017 as part of a new technical alliance with Team Penske. In 2017, Blaney secured the team's first win since the 2011 Daytona 500 at the Axalta Presents the Pocono 400, defeating Kevin Harvick. He advanced to the Round of 8 in the playoffs and finished ninth in points that season.
Paul Menard drove from 2018 to 2019. Glen Wood, team co-founder, died on 18 January 2019 at the age of 93. Matt DiBenedetto drove in 2020 and 2021. Harrison Burton drove from 2022 to 2024, winning the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400, which marked the team's 100th victory. In 2025, Josh Berry replaced Burton and won at Las Vegas in only his second month with the team, the 101st win for Wood Brothers Racing — the first time since 1986 and 1987 that the team won in back-to-back seasons.
The Wood Brothers also fielded entries in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In 2006 the team ran trucks numbered 19, 20 (later 09), and 21, with drivers including Jon Wood, Marcos Ambrose, Bobby East, Stacy Compton, and Kelly Bires. Jon Wood and Keven Wood shared the No. 21 truck in 2008. The truck program ceased operations at the end of 2008 due to a lack of sponsorship.
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