“I didn't jump up & down but did that day”: Wood Racing owner reflects on winning Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne

Leonard Wood, the co-founder of Wood Brothers Racing, recently recalled a rare moment of their emotional win in the 2011 Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne. Wood Brothers Racing is considered one of NASCAR’s oldest and most respected teams. It was a special moment for the legendary team, marking its first Daytona 500 win since 1976 with David Pearson.

Wood’s NASCAR team had scaled back to a part-time schedule in the late 2000s, making the win even more special. Bayne, who was just 20 years old at that time, pulled off a shocking upset. His poised driving in the tandem-drafting era and his ability to hold off veteran Carl Edwards in the final laps made it one of the most memorable wins in Daytona 500 history.

Leonard, who had seen so many highs and lows with the team, rarely expressed his excitement in his career, but the 2011 Daytona 500 was different, seeing their #21 Ford return to victory lane. That Daytona 500 win was one of the few times in his career when he cheered loudly and jumped out of his seat in celebration.

In a video shared by Wood Brothers Racing on Instagram, Leonard Wood recalled the core memory from the 2011 Daytona 500 victory with young Trevor Bayne and said:

“I never was one to jump up and down. I never wanted to make the other team feel bad. Winning was good enough for me. So, I didn't ever jump up & down, and that's when some of my friend Lori Banks, were with me. And she was just jumping up and down to restart the last two laps of overtime. And so I was like, well, we'll get past going down the back stretch. And my friend Lori was still screaming.”

“The pit crew was screaming when we were coming around the first lap and we were still leading. Well, we might have a chance, but we'll get blown off right now on the last lap coming up the start and finish line. And so they're still screaming and I'm still waiting. Well, I come inside and see two car lengths ahead, and I'm like, oh, hello. So, I never jumped up & down, but I did that day,” he continued.

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Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 on the day after his 20th birthday

Trevor Bayne claimed the historic Daytona 500 victory just one day after turning 20, on February 20, 2011, at Daytona International Speedway. He became the youngest driver ever to win the iconic 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series season opener at an age of 20, and it came only in his second NASCAR Cup Series start.

Trevor Bayne had grabbed the lead shortly before the final restart and maintained it to hold off Carl Edwards on the final lap at Daytona to take his first Cup checkered flag and Wood Brothers’ fifth Daytona 500. The team had previously won in 1963, 1968, 1972, and 1976.

The 2025 Daytona 500 is scheduled to be held on Sunday, February 16, at Daytona International Speedway. The live action will be available on FOX at 1:30 pm ET.