“Protect this man at all costs”: Fans react as legendary NASCAR owner Leonard Wood lets inner child loose

Wood Brothers Racing co-owner Leonard Wood was recently seen riding an innovative four-wheel mechanical ride that he had supposedly built at the shop. Several fans on X (formerly Twitter) were amused at the sight of the 89-year-old 'child' paddling the undersize cart.

Wood Brothers Racing uploaded a video on their official X page that recorded Leonard Wood's shenanigans. They captioned the video saying,

"89yrs old."

"Find me a badder ass."

Several fans reacted to the same, with one stressing about the need to preserve the absolute gem of a man that Leonard Wood is.

"Protect this man at all costs," the fan said.

Referring to Wood as an 'American Treasure', another fan said,

"Leopard (Leonard) Wood is an American treasure 🏁"

Here are a few other reactions to Wood wheeling the wooden kart:

"Gotta love Leonard!!!" a fan wrote.

"I refuse to believe he is 89. What a legend," said another.

"You can’t. There will only ever be one Leonard Wood," someone commented.

Wood Brothers Racing started its operations back in 1950. Glenn Wood, Leonard Wood's brother, used to drive their cars. Later, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012. Glenn Wood passed away in 2019, but Leonard Wood continues working at the Wood Brothers Museum in Stuart, Virginia.

Leonard Wood; the mastermind behind NASCAR's pit stops

The modern pit stop is the brainchild of Leonard Wood. In 1960, the team felt the need to reduce pit road time. That year, Wood Brothers Racing had built two Fords for Fireball Roberts and Smokey Yunick. It took them 45 seconds to change two tires and get a fuel refill during the race.

"We were at Charlotte in 1960, World 600, the very first one. And we had two cars. We prepared two Fords. So Fireball Roberts and Smokey Yunick made a pit stop, to change two tires and fuel." Wood recalled. "Took them 45 seconds. John Cowley with Ford Motor Company told us, 'I think there’s some time to be gained in the pits.' We started working on it, so right away we was down to 25 seconds with the same deal. Then we just worked from there."

Leonard Wood is a renowned NASCAR innovator. At the tender age of 13, Wood took out the motor from an old washing machine and built a go-kart out of it. The go-kart is functional even today and is currently on display at the Museum.

"I made a gasoline-powered gokart when I was 13," Wood said in an interview with 'Inside Appalachia' host Mason Adams. "It’s in the museum over there, and it’s got a washing machine motor on it."

"I was always mechanical in mind. I’d always tear my toys apart. Brother Delano (Wood)... his next Christmas were like brand new, and mine all torn to pieces. Back when I was just 12 years old, I was making little Jeeps out of wood," he added.

Wood's eminence in building engines played an undeniable role in NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee David Pearson bagging 43 wins between 1972 and 1978. Wood ran the team's engine shop at the time. Several legendary drivers like Neil Bonnett, Cale Yarborough, A.J. Foyt, and Dan Gurney have won races in cars prepared by Wood's team.

Wood was conferred with the prestigious NASCAR Hall of Famer title in 2013. His accomplishments include formulating engines with higher horsepower, choreographing picture-perfect pit stops, and designing lightweight lifting jacks and an internal device to facilitate the faster flow of fuel into the car's tank.