A long-standing partnership with the all-American manufacturer, Ford, and a technical alliance with Team Penske still aren’t getting NASCAR’s oldest active team out of the rut. From being one of the most innovative and dominant teams in the 1970s to fielding the #21 car for none other than the great David Pearson, Wood Brothers Racing has now become a mere image of what the team used to be back in the day.
With the team’s last win coming 6 years ago in Pocono, WBR’s tale would make any ardent fan shed a tear. The single-car team currently has youngster Harrison Burton at the helm, piloting the #21 car. However, even with the young gun in the seat, their long-standing coalition with Ford, or the technical support from Penske, the team is far from their glory days. Reacting to the current status of the once-prominent team, NASCAR enthusiast and entrepreneur Zane Campbell shared his thoughts.
From glory to a single-car team struggling to keep up with the field, Wood Brothers Racing’s depressing fallout
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It was in 2017 at “The Tricky Triangle” when the team had its last victory. The 2023 Cup Series champion was then at the helm of the #21 and was the last driver to bring WBR across the finish line, and since then, the tea has gone cold for the Ford camp. In fact, in the last decade, WBR has only had two wins; now that is a miserable status considering how great the team was back in the day.
For unversed and young fans out there, the 1970s were the prime years of the team, with its ace and one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, David Pearson, dominating the scene, racking up win after win to establish his supremacy. During his tenure from 1972 to 1979, Pearson amassed a total of 43 wins, 93 top-10s, and 37 poles out of the 143 Cup starts, giving way to one of the best and most legendary streaks in NASCAR history.
From then on, it was a slow decline. Winston Cup champions Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty, Elliott Sadler, Ricky Rudd, etc. all got their shots, trying their luck, but the team couldn’t return to its glorious past. Now coming to the recent tale of events, entrepreneur and realtor, 3.5 million worth, Zane Campbell shared his thoughts on the team’s dismal performances over the past two years.
Not sure, no one really is. However it is telling that Matty D had that car in playoff contention and as soon as he is gone, 21 is horrible.
— Zane Campbell (@zaneccampbell) December 27, 2023
Campbell highlighted how the team’s parting with Matt DiBenedetto has lost them all the momentum he had with 23-year-old Harrison Burton behind the wheel. He wrote, “Not sure; no one really is. However, it is telling that Matty D had that car in playoff contention, and as soon as he is gone, 21 is horrible.”
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The oldest active team in NASCAR hasn’t aged pretty well. Compared to the past few days, things are far from good. Ever since DiBenedetto left the team to try his luck in NASCAR’s third-ranking faction, the Truck Series, the team has fallen further down the drain. If DiBenedetto was able to rack 20 top 10s during his tenure, the current #21 driver Burton has only been able to have 4 with an equal number of starts, 72 from each driver.
This was one of the points a fan highlighted when he wrote, “Matty D was the closest they ever got to their 200th win. Harrison Burton is gonna have to be in that ride for a decade before they can even sniff a win.” While another user mentioned it indirectly, taking a jab at the 23-year-old, “They replaced a playoff driver with a mid-rushed driver.”
Another ardent fan couldn’t overlook the harsh reality, commenting, “The Wood Brothers haven’t been that competitive since the 90’s. Plus, it doesn’t help that Burton was rushed to Cup.” “Their last 3 wins have been Blaney, Bayne, and Sadler in 2001. This team isn’t supposed to win a ton. Harrison is good, and I have faith, but the Wood Brothers aren’t gonna be a good team, sadly. They were always part-time then rushed to be full-time once Penske supported them.”
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What do you think is the downfall of WBR? Can they bounce back and reclaim the throne? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
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