2013 Hall of Fame
Joe "Woody" Woods
Legendary MIR Racer
Joe "Woody" Woods has
been racing at MIR since
it was here. His first
race at the track was a
monumental one -- MIR's
first match race in July
1966! The match was a
Ford versus Chevy affair
against Mousie Brown.
Joe was a Ford man in
those days and his '63
Ford with a high rise
427 put Browns's 409
powered '62 Chevy on the
trailer! From that
successful start, Joe
Woods went on to enjoy
many more wins and two
track championships, one
at Aquasco in 1983 and
another at MIR in 2006.
Joe raced 10 different
cars over the years,
from his A/Modified
Production Ford to his
current Camaro. All his
cars featured cartoon
nicknames, which
endeared him to the fans
as much as his winning
ways. His early Fords
were called "Sleepin'
Henry" and "Uncle
Remus." Since 1983,
however, the name of his
Chevys became an obvious
choice: "Woody
Woodpecker." His highly
successful '74 Vega
carried that name and
his new Camaro carries
on the popular
tradition.
Joe's favorite part of
racing is the fun and
camaraderie among the
racers. He recalls, "We
had a lot of fun no
matter what type of
racing. From class
racing to bracket
racing, I was THERE!" As
far as Joe can remember,
he didn't miss a weekend
at MIR from the time he
started until his racing
career ended. And he
still makes it out to
the track as often as he
can.
Joe's wife, Alice Marie,
who passed away in June
2010, always said he was
crazy to race so much,
but she never tried to
stop him. Joe got his
son, Joe, Jr., involved
in the sport, too. Joe
Jr. has been a
successful racer himself
as he carries on the
family name at MIR.
Joe was just as involved
in cars away from the
track. He started
pumping gas in his
hometown of Hughesville
and then took a job
running the gas station
up on Short Cut Road in
Brandywine, Maryland.
Joe worked there until
his retirement in 1983.
After that, he raced a
lot and enjoyed it.
Joe gives a lot of
credit and thanks to
Frank Kirby, who he said
was instrumental in his
1983 track championship.
Despite nearly 50 years
of racing at MIR, Joe
Wood's favorite day at
the track remains the
day he beat Mousie Brown
at the track's first
match race. Woody
recalls, "Mousie was
some kinda mad, but I
didn't care!"
From that first match
race win to his track
championships to his
week in and week out
dedication to the racing
program at MIR, Joe Wood
has exemplified the
spirit of competition
and fun in drag racing.
That is the mark of a
true drag racer, and
that makes him a true
Legend of Budds Creek.
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