Wood returns to the track, slated to drive 21 truck

Jon Wood, who has been out of NASCAR racing since the beginning of June while recovering from a medical condition, will drive the No. 21 Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Ford truck for this weekend's Craftsman Truck Series Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

Jon Wood's father and team co-owner, Eddie Wood, said his son, 25, would drive the truck in 11 of the final 13 races this season; excluding two that Mark Martin is scheduled to drive.

"We're pretty excited about it," Eddie Wood said. "It's reuniting him with [crew chief John] Monsam; and the two of them won those two races a few years back, at Martinsville and Kansas, so that's what's going to happen."

The younger Wood, who made his Nextel Cup debut earlier this season at Las Vegas in the famed No. 21 Wood Brothers' Ford, has had his greatest success in the Truck Series, with 43 top-10 finishes including two wins and 14-top fives in 91 starts.

Jon Wood's last race was the May 26 Carquest Auto Parts 300 Busch Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he finished 13th after starting 35th in the No. 47 Wood/JTG Ford.

He was in the car the next weekend at Dover International Speedway, but stepped out after experiencing severe headaches in the event's first practice.

Wood was suspected as having an adverse medical reaction to prescription medication for Attention Deficit Disorder, which his father said was misdiagnosed. (read more)

Of late, Kelly Bires, who started the season splitting time with Martin in the No. 21 truck, has been driving the No. 47 in the Busch Series. Bires has one top-10 finish in eight career NCTS starts, seven of which have come this season.

"It's just the way it worked out -- I don't know a better way to say it," Eddie Wood said of his son's return. "If you've got to come back after the deal that Jon's been through, the Truck Series is the place to go."

Jon Wood was traveling from an appearance on SPEED to discuss his return and was unavailable, but commented in a team release.

"I feel fine -- it was better to be safe than sorry," he said. "I'm looking forward to whatever comes my way. This is a great opportunity. The No. 21 is over-capable.

"I'm happy as long as I'm racing something. I haven't lost any of my abilities. The way I look at it, it's always a great opportunity when you're in a situation where you can win. That's not bad at all."

Wood's last start in the Truck Series came at the beginning of last season, when he substituted in the same No. 21 truck engineered by Monsam for rookie candidate Bobby East, who was unapproved on bigger speedways.

Wood had three top-six starts and two top-10 finishes, including a best of sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway in that stretch. In his four career NCTS starts at Kentucky, his worst finish is 13th.

"If you look at the No. 21, it's had an opportunity to win just about every race," Jon Wood said. "It feels good going back to a track where I've had a lot of success in both the Trucks and the Busch Series [and] I'm really excited to be in a truck that has a chance to win."

Wood and Monsam previously scored Wood's two Truck Series victories, in 2003 when Wood finished fifth in the championship, with 20 top-10 finishes in 25 races driving Ford F-150s fielded by Jack Roush.

Monsam is co-holder of an all-time Craftsman Truck Series' record, with Kevin Harvick Incorporated's Rick Ren, for victories with the most different drivers, five.

"I think I know what he's looking for in the truck, so it feels great to be going back to Kentucky with Jon driving our race truck," Monsam said. "We had some great runs there, including a pole and a top-five.

"Back in 2003 we won a pole in Memphis, which was our first together, then went to Kansas City and blew up in practice, qualified third but started last and won the race. Then, we went to Kentucky and won another pole.

"We had gotten hot right then, which was pretty cool -- and I hope we can do the same thing now."

Later that season Wood scored what he considered to be the biggest victory of his career, at the family's home Martinsville Speedway.

"We'd like to get the first win for this 21 truck -- which would not only be the 100th victory for the Wood Brothers, but also the first win for this Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team," Monsam said. "I look forward to that, because we've come close with Mark and our No. 09 truck has come close.

"But we want to get it done soon and Jon just might be able to close the deal."