MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The Wood Brothers were expecting approximately 5,000 visitors to their open house in Stuart, Va., after Friday’s qualifying session at Martinsville Speedway, but driver Ryan Blaney was not under any illusions about whom the fans were coming to see.
“They’re not coming out to see me,” Blaney said. “They’re going to come out to see the Wood Brothers. I’m just going to be there and shake their hands. They’re the main stars up here in Virginia. They’re rock stars up here, so it’s cool just to be a part of it.
The four Wood Brothers—NASCAR Hall of Famers Glen and Leonard Wood, along with Ray Lee and Delano—will all be there, as well as second-generation team owners Eddie and Len Wood.
“I’m going to be a part of it tonight to kind of share some stories with some old fans of theirs,” Blaney said. “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be a lot of fun, but they’re definitely there to see them. Maybe if there’s like 5,000, there might be seven there to see me and most of the other ones there to see those guys.”
Blaney may not be the superstar at the open house, but he drove like one in Friday’s opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice, posting the seventh fastest speed. He later qualified 12th for Sunday’s race.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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