Llinyn Leonard yn sylfaen greadigol ar gyfer llwyddiant y brodyr Wood

Gyrrodd David Pearson am y brodyr Wood am sawl blwyddyn yn ystod y 1970au ac un o'i WINS mwyaf ysblennydd oedd yn y 1976 Daytona 500, lle'r oedd yn bested Richard Petty ar ôl damwain olaf LAP.

Pan wnes i fy nghyfweliad cyntaf un-ar-un gyda'r brodyr Wood, Glen a Leonard, roedd gen i ofn marwolaeth.
Yr oedd tua 42 o flynyddoedd yn ôl pan oeddwn yn dechrau fel awdur chwaraeon modur ar gyfer y Times Roanoke ac roedd y goedwig, gyda'r gyrrwr David Pearson, yn sgorio cystadleuaeth Cwpan Winston NASCAR.
Cefais fy recriwtio gan y diweddar Dick Thompson, Cyfarwyddwr cysylltiadau cyhoeddus gwych Martinsville Speedway, i wneud stori am y goedwig ar gyfer ei raglen ras.
I ddechrau, doeddwn i ddim eisiau ei wneud.
"Dick, prin yr wyf yn adnabod y pren," dywedais. "Dydw I ddim yn meddwl bod neb yn gwneud. Dydyn nhw ddim yn union y tu allan ac yn mynd allan yn ardal y garej. "
"Fe fyddi di'n iawn," meddai Thompson. "Mi fydda i'n sefydlu'r cyfweliad yn eu siopau i fyny yn Stuart (VA.)."
Ychydig ddyddiau yn ddiweddarach fe alwodd Thompson fi.
"Wel, doedd hynny ddim yn hawdd," meddai. "Roedden nhw eisiau gwybod pethau fel pwy oeddech chi a pha mor hir y byddai'n ei gymryd. Dywedais wrth ' EM byddech mor gyflym â phosibl. Ewch i fyny yno. "
Mae'n rhaid i chi ddeall bod y coed, ymhlith cyfryngau'r dydd, yn cael eu hystyried yn un o'r timau gorau yn NASCAR.
Roedd ganddynt sefydliad bach ond gallent ddal eu hunain – a churo – y fath bwerdai fel Holman & Moody, mân fentrau a bud Moore Engineering.
Ond ymddangosai eu bod yn bell. Doedden nhw ddim yn gymdeithasol. Aethant ati i'w tasgau'n effeithlon ac yn dawel.
Roedd Leonard Wood yn un o'r prif Newidiwr teiars yn ystod arosfannau'r pyllau, ond Cyfrannodd hefyd at fawredd y brodyr Wood drwy ei dalentau fel arloeswr ac adeiladwr peiriannau.

A phan ddaeth i gyfweliadau, byr oedd eu hatebion ac enigmatig. Doedd y Coedydd byth yn rhoi ymateb syth pan ddaeth i esboniadau o sut enillon nhw ras.
Cyfeiriodd y cyfryngau, yn llawen, yn aml at "newid cerddediad hud" fel y gyfrinach i'w llwyddiant.
Mewn gwirionedd nid oedd ganddynt y syniad lleiaf.
Yn enwedig tawedog oedd Glen, y brawd hynach a restrwyd fel perchennog y tîm. Roedd ei frawd ieuengaf, Leonard, y Prif fecanydd ac aelod criw y pidyn galluog, ychydig yn well. O leiaf roedd yn gwenu llawer.
Yn wir, roedd yn Leonard a atebodd bron pob un o'm cwestiynau yn ystod y cyfweliad. Nawr, rhaid cyfaddef, roedd y rhan fwyaf o'r hyn a ofynnais yn ddim ond Rwdlan oherwydd fy mod yn gwybod nad oedd y coed ar fin gollwng unrhyw rai o'u cyfrinachau cystadlu.
Clywais, "na, gadewch i ni beidio â mynd yno," fwy nag unwaith.
Ond wedyn digwyddodd rhywbeth.
Gofynnais i'r goedwig pa mor anodd oedd hi i gadw i fyny gyda newidiadau rheolau ymddangosiadol ddiddiwedd gan NASCAR – a oedd, ar y pryd, yn cael eu gwneud i gadw cystadleuaeth yn gyfartal a'r gweithgynhyrchwyr Auto yn hapus.
Gadawodd Leonard yn sydyn yr ystafell.
Daeth yn ôl yn cario bocs. Fe wnaeth wagio'r cynnwys ar y llawr.
Roedd platiau cyfyngol o myrdd o feintiau a siapiau wedi eu taenu dros y llawr i gyd.
"Gweler hwn?" Gofynnodd Leonard. "Dyma sy'n rhaid i mi ei wneud yn gyson i wneud yn siŵr ein bod ni'n gyflym ac o fewn y rheolau. Nid yw'n hawdd ac mae'n cymryd llawer o amser. "
Yna Gwenodd.
"Allwch chi ddim tynnu llun o hyn i gyd," meddai.
Yna y rheswm a oedd yn nghanol llwyddiant y goedwig yn fy nharo. Roedd Leonard wedi dangos i mi mor galed iawn yr oedd yn gweithio, pa mor arbrofol ydoedd a pha mor ymroddgar yr oedd yn ei rôl fel adeiladwr peiriannau'r tîm.
Dim rhyfedd mai'r pren oedd tost NASCAR. Erbyn 1972 Roedd eu ceir wedi eu gyrru i fuddugoliaethau lluosog gan y rhai a oedd yn hoffi Curtis Turner, Marvin Panch, A.J. Foyt a cale Yarborough.
Yn ' 72, eu cyntaf gyda Pearson, enillasant chwe gwaith.
Dim ond ychydig o bethau i ddod oedd hynny. Enillodd y coed 11 o 18 ras yn 1973 a saith yn fwy yn 1974.
Roeddent yn gwneud y mwyaf o sgiliau arwain a mecanyddol Glen a Leonard.
Mae wedi bod yn rhesymegol erioed mai Glen oedd y strategydd. Ni redodd y coed erioed ar gyfer Pencampwriaeth. Roeddent yn cystadlu yn rasys superspeedway yn unig, a oedd yn talu'r arian mwyaf.
Dewisodd Glen y cyfuniad o incwm uwch a llai o dreuliau. Rwy'n credu hefyd ei bod yn well ganddo rasio lle roedd y tîm ar ei gryfaf.
Yr unig eithriad oedd y trac yn y dref enedigol, sef hanner milltir Speedway Martinsville. Digon yw dywedyd, uh, cawsant eu "digolledu."
Yn y cyfamser, Leonard oedd yr athrylith technegol. Wnaeth o ddim dysgu o ysgolion na llawlyfrau. Roedd yn fecanydd talentog yn naturiol a allai adeiladu moduron o'r adeg yr oedd yn 13 oed.
Fel adeiladwr peiriannau Roedd yn ddieflie – bron fel gwyddonydd Mad. Doedd neb yn gwybod yn union beth a wnaeth, ac roedd yn siŵr nad oedd ar fin dweud wrth neb, ond yn arferol ei beiriannau oedd y rhai mwyaf pwerus ar bob superspeedway. Roedd y niferoedd yn profi hynny.
Wnaeth e ddim gorffen yno. Roedd Leonard hefyd yn bensaer man aros yn y pwll coed – y cyflymaf yn NASCAR fel rheol.
Leonard oedd un o'r Newidwyr teiars gorau yn y gamp – Ie, roedd ei ddyletswyddau gyda'r tîm yn niferus – ond roedd hefyd yn gyfrifol am fodelu offer y dydd.
Creodd Jac ysgafndroed, un llawer ysgafnach na pyngciau 70-80 o'u dydd. Gyda'r defnydd o Hydroleg, Delano Wood, Jackman a'r mwyaf fflamboyant o'r brodyr pren, gallai gael car codi mewn dau pympiau. Cymerodd nifer o dimau eraill gymaint â 10.
Mae Leonard hefyd yn cael clod am ddod o hyd i ffyrdd o gael gynnau aer y tîm i dynnu a disodli cnau lug yn gyflymach ac addasu'r caniau dymp nwy i ganiatáu i danwydd lifo'n gynt.
Heb sgiliau naturiol a chreadigrwydd Leonard, ni fyddai'r brodyr pren erioed wedi cyflawni'r statws a'r amlygrwydd a ddalant hyd heddiw.
Dyna'r rheswm pennaf pam fod Leonard yn un o'r annibynwyr diweddaraf i mewn i neuadd enwogion NASCAR. Mae Buck Baker, perlysiau Thomas, yn rhydlyd Wallace a Cotton Owens yn ymuno ag ef eleni.
Roedd Pearson yn aelod o ail ddosbarth y neuadd ac yn sicr roedd gan ei ddeiliadaeth gyda choetir lawer i'w wneud â hynny.
Bydd Leonard yn ymuno â Glen fel aelod o neuadd enwogion. Mae'n briodol. Sefydlasant eu Mawredd ynghyd.
Dros y blynyddoedd daeth Leonard a mi yn gyfeillgar i gydnabod pwy allai sgwrsio'n hawdd a chwerthin yn aml.
Wrth gwrs, nid wyf erioed wedi gofyn iddo beth wnaeth neu sut y gwnaeth hynny.
Rwy'n credu ei fod yn gwenu. Ond ni fyddai'n ateb. Nid hyd heddiw.

David Pearson drove for the Wood Brothers for several years during the 1970s and one of his most spectacular wins was in the 1976 Daytona 500, where he bested Richard Petty after a last-lap crash.

When I did my first one-on-one interview with the Wood brothers, Glen and Leonard, I was scared to death.
It was about 42 years ago when I was starting out as a motorsports writer for The Roanoke Times and the Woods, with driver David Pearson, were scorching the NASCAR Winston Cup competition.
The late Dick Thompson, the superb public relations director at Martinsville Speedway, recruited me to do a story on the Woods for his race program.
At first, I didn’t want to do it.
“Dick, I hardly know the Woods,” I said. “I don’t think anyone does. They aren’t exactly outspoken and outgoing in the garage area.”
“You’ll do fine,” Thompson said. “I’ll set up the interview at their shops up in Stuart (Va.).”
A couple of days later Thompson called me.
“Well, that wasn’t easy,” he said. “They wanted to know things like who you were and how long it would take. I told ‘em you would be as quick as possible. Get on up there.”
You have to understand that among the media of the day, the Woods were considered one of the best teams in NASCAR.
They had a small organization but they could hold their own – and beat – such powerhouses as Holman & Moody, Petty Enterprises and Bud Moore Engineering.
But it seemed they were distant. They weren’t sociable. They went about their tasks efficiently and silently.
Leonard Wood was a master tire changer during pit stops, but he also contributed to the Wood Brothers’ greatness through his talents as an innovator and engine builder.

And when it came to interviews, their answers were brief and enigmatic. The Woods never gave a straight response when it came to explanations of how they won a race.
The media, jokingly, often referred to a “magic chassis change” as the secret to their success.
In truth they didn’t have the slightest idea.
Especially reticent was Glen, the elder brother listed as the team owner. His younger brother Leonard, the chief mechanic and able pit crew member, was a little better. At least he smiled a lot.
In fact it was Leonard who answered virtually all my questions during the interview. Now, admittedly, most of what I asked was mere prattle because I knew the Woods weren’t about to let loose of any of their competition secrets.
I heard, “No, let’s not go there,” more than once.
But then something happened.
I asked the Woods how hard it was to keep up with NASCAR’s seemingly endless rule changes – which, at the time, were made to keep competition equal and the auto manufacturers happy.
Leonard abruptly left the room.
He came back carrying a box. He emptied the contents on the floor.
Carburetor restrictor plates of myriad sizes and shapes were spread out all over the floor.
“See this?” Leonard asked. “This is what I have to do constantly to make sure we’re fast and within the rules. It’s not easy and it takes up a lot of time.”
Then he smiled.
“You can’t take a photo of all this,” he said.
Then the reason that was the center of the Woods’ success hit me. Leonard had just very dramatically shown me how hard he worked, how experimental he was and how dedicated he was in his role as the team’s engine builder.
No wonder the Woods were the toast of NASCAR. By 1972 their cars had been driven to multiple victories by the likes of Curtis Turner, Marvin Panch, A.J. Foyt and Cale Yarborough.
In ’72, their first with Pearson, they won six times.
That was just a harbinger of things to come. The Woods won 11 of 18 races in 1973 and seven more in 1974.
They were making the most of Glen and Leonard’s leadership and mechanical skills.
It has always been reasoned that Glen was the strategist. The Woods never ran for a championship. They competed only in superspeedway races, which paid the most money.
Glen opted for the combination of a higher income and fewer expenses. I also think he preferred to race where the team was strongest.
The only exception was their hometown track, the half-mile Martinsville Speedway. Suffice it to say, uh, they were “compensated.”
Meanwhile, it was Leonard who was the technical genius. He didn’t learn from schools or manuals. He was a naturally talented mechanic who could build motors from the time he was 13 years old.
As an engine builder he was diabolical – almost like a mad scientist. No one knew exactly what he did, and he sure wasn’t about to tell anyone, but his engines were routinely the most powerful on every superspeedway. The numbers proved it.
It didn’t end there. Leonard was also the architect of a Wood Brothers pit stop – routinely the fastest in NASCAR.
Leonard was one of the best tire changers in the sport – yes, his duties with the team were many – but he was also responsible for modernizing the equipment of the day.
He created a lightweight jack, one far lighter than the 70-80 pounders of they day. With the use of hydraulics, Delano Wood, jackman and the most flamboyant of the Wood Brothers, could have a car lifted in two pumps. It took other teams as many as 10.
Leonard is also credited with finding ways to get the team’s air guns to remove and replace lug nuts more quickly and modifying the gas dump cans to allow fuel to flow faster.
Without Leonard’s natural skills and creativity, the Wood Brothers would have never achieved the status and notoriety they hold to this day.
That’s the biggest reason why Leonard is one of the latest inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Buck Baker, Herb Thomas, Rusty Wallace and Cotton Owens join him this year.
Pearson was a member of the hall’s second class and his tenure with Woods certainly had much to do with that.
Leonard will join Glen as a hall of fame member. It’s only appropriate. They established their greatness together.
Over the years Leonard and I became friendly acquaintances who could converse easily and laugh often.
Of course, I have never asked him what he did or how he did it.
I think he’d smile. But he wouldn’t answer. Not to this day.