In racing, car numbers are often associated with a certain driver, but even casual NASCAR fans are likely aware that the number is officially assigned not to the driver but rather to the team owner.
Many current NASCAR Cup Series owners have a long running association with a particular number. Rick Hendrick has an extensive history with the No. 5, Joe Gibbs with 18 and, of course, Richard Childress and that stylized 3.
The Wood Brothers’ iconic No. 21 wound up in victory lane again at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 101st time that the team has sprayed champagne after a race. But not all of those bubbly celebrations have included that car number. In fact, there are 10 instances of the Wood Brothers team winning with a different numeral on the door.
The first three wins belonged to team co-founder Glen Wood, who won three races at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., in 1960. While they did field a No. 21 car in those races, Glen won in a second team car adorned with No. 16, the only three wins for the Woods with the number.
Dan Gurney, a generational talent with wins in IndyCar, Formula 1, and sports car racing, did some impressive work behind the wheel of the team’s stock cars. He made only 16 Cup starts but won five of them, all on the road course in Riverside, Calif. Four of those were in a Wood Brothers Ford featuring the No. 121 between 1964 and 1968.
When NASCAR began, three digit numbers were permitted to be displayed on cars. But cars were scored manually by people sitting in the infield until the implementation of electronic timing and scoring. This meant that the number had to be visibly read by a scorer, a task made more difficult by squeezing three digits onto the roof or door rather than just two. Therefore, NASCAR no longer permitted the use of such numbers, ensuring that there wouldn’t be any additional such wins for the team.
Another open wheel racing star who dabbled in NASCAR for a few years was AJ Foyt, who piloted several Wood Bros. Fords to victory. In 1965, the first of these was a Daytona International Speedway win in a No. 41. However, while Foyt would pick up four more wins for the Stuart, Va. based organization, those would all come in the more recognizable No. 21.
The Wood Brothers Racing team also fielded cars for racing pioneer Curtis Turner on occasion, including his 17th and final Cup win, which came at Rockingham Speedway in 1965. Turner had been banned from racing in NASCAR for life after attempting to start a driver’s union in 1961. Bill France was adamantly opposed to such a notion and took the opportunity to make an example of Turner.
But the 1964 deaths of stars Joe Weatherly and Glen Fireball Roberts weakened overall driver name recognition. Track owners began pressuring France to allow Turner to return, which he eventually did. When Turner was permitted to return in 1965, he also sported the No. 41 on his Ford. He scored the win in the inaugural race at Rockingham Speedway but lost his ride the following season after Ford pulled its factory support due to a new rule that the brand deemed to be unfair. Without Ford backing the operation, extra rides like the one he had quickly disappeared.
There are two seasons during which the Wood Brothers’ flagship car was not the No. 21 at all. In 1985, Kyle Petty joined the team and brought with him sponsorship from convenience store giant 7-Eleven. Petty had run the No. 7 with the sponsor in 1984 and the company wanted to keep the brand tie-in in place.
In 1986, Kyle was running fourth late in a race at the Richmond Fairgrounds track. Suddenly while battling for the lead, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt tangled and both crashed into turn 3. The third-place car of Joe Ruttman piled in as well, leaving the stunned television commentators asking where Petty was.
Turns out, Petty had made it through the melee unscathed and with only three laps remaining, track workers were unable to clear the scene before the race ended. Petty cruised to his first Cup win under the caution flag and the team’s only win with the No. 7.
The following season, Citgo signed on as the new primary sponsor and would remain as such through the 2000 campaign. The change allowed the Wood Brothers team to revert back to carrying the No. 21, which has been on its flagship car ever since.
The Wood Brothers team will continue to race and likely win in the years ahead, but it’s probably a safe bet to say it’ll only be with a 21 plastered on the door.
Frank Velat has been an avid follower of NASCAR and other motorsports for over 20 years. He brings a blend of passionate fan and objective author to his work. Frank offers unique perspectives that everyone can relate to, remembering the sport's past all the while embracing its future. Follow along with @FrankVelat on Twitter.