Co-owner Len Wood admits team could run full slate, but it would be tough
CONCORD, N.C. — Officials with Wood Brothers Racing said Thursday that the legendary team could run a full 36-race schedule today in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, something the team hasn’t done since 2006.
But, said co-owner Len Wood at Charlotte Motor Speedway, “you’ve got to pay for it.
“We could go run ’em all (now), but it wouldn’t be pretty.
“And with that being said, I don’t think you could keep a sponsor like that either.”
The organization is scheduled to compete in 18 of this year’s 36 points races with driver Ryan Blaney. A new three-year package with Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center covers 12 of those events while the affiliation with Team Penske, which began this year, provided the opportunity to add six races. Blaney is a development driver for the Penske group.
“We know pretty much where we’re going and set our schedule based on where we think we can run the best — which are the speedways and the intermediates,” Wood said. “We try to be more efficient about it. Not have to go buy two sets of short track brakes to go run one short-track race, things like that.
“If more races were to come up, then we’re ready. We’d get more cars from Team Penske, more parts and away we’d go.”
Penske, whose group fields Fords for 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano, told the Associated Press last week that he was not interested in expanding Team Penske to three full-time teams.
“If we can get sponsorship for (Blaney), that gives him a chance to take a look at extending that through a full season next year. That would be our goal,” Penske told the AP.
Blaney replaced 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne in the red and white No. 21 Ford when Bayne was named to drive full-time for Roush Fenway Racing this season in the No. 6 Ford.
Blaney finished fourth at Talladega earlier this year, one of his four Sprint Cup starts so far this season.
Wood Brothers Racing, which has been competing in NASCAR practically since the sanctioning body’s inception in 1949, has 98 wins in more than 1,400 starts.
The team was founded by NASCAR Hall of Fame member Glen Wood and originally based in Stuart, Virginia.
The affiliation with Team Penske has already provided improved results on the track.
“The situation we have with Ryan and Team Penske, when we come to the race track, we feel like we’ve got a shot every week,” Len Wood said. “Not just at the speedways … when we leave the shop we feel like we can win.”