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SM North graduate saves day for Wood Brothers team
By JIM PEDLEY
The Kansas City Star
Eddie Wood was worried.
The legendary Wood Brothers racing team was losing its driver, the sponsorship situation was shaky and the very existence of the organization founded by Wood's father and uncle was facing an uncertain future.
A savior wasn't needed -- but sure would be welcomed.
Meet Judi Moritz.
Wood did about two months ago. He met her shortly after Moritz ascended into a job at Ford Motor Company's Motorcraft racing division.
In that position, Moritz had the power to rescue the Wood Brothers' Winston Cup organization. Now, it appears she just might have done that.
Wood calls what Moritz has done for his team "magical."
Moritz really doesn't look much like a savior -- especially the savior of a Winston Cup team. In fact, she looks a bit out of place in the loud, dirty chaotic garage areas where she now performs part of her job.
But when she starts giving orders, she sure sounds like somebody who can get people to save themselves.
Moritz was born in Kansas and graduated from Shawnee Mission North High School before heading off to Kansas State.
The marketing-career path took her to the Detroit area and to Ford.
At Ford, she became involved in event marketing. Earlier this year, the event-marketing department was combined with the motor-sports division, and Moritz suddenly had the fate of the Wood Brothers thrust into her hands.
The Wood Brothers team has been around since the early 1950s, when it was founded by Glen and Leonard Wood in tiny Stuart, Va. In the years since, it has had the best drivers in the sport working for it -- including Fred Lorenzen, Curtis Turner, A.J. Foyt, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough.
The team has 97 victories, but there has been just one by current driver Elliott Sadler -- and none since last season. Sadler heads this weekend to Kansas Speedway 25th in points.
The Wood Brothers were never a big team in terms of money and equipment. These days, they are considered a small team.
Earlier this year, Sadler confirmed speculation that he wanted to move on. Shortly after that it was announced that he would move to the mega-operation of Robert Yates Racing.
Tough times, it appeared, were about to get tougher.
In early August, Moritz, relatively new to her job, took to the road to meet Eddie Wood, son of Glen Wood. Eddie Wood now runs the team with his brother, Len.
"We went down just so they could meet the new kid," Moritz said.
After the introductions, Moritz pulled Wood aside and got down to business.
"I said `I know we don't have a driver, what do we need to get someone good?' " Moritz said.
Wood told Moritz that he couldn't even think about hiring a driver until he knew if he was going to be in business next year.
"I said, well, I can give you a three-year deal," Moritz said.
Moritz then asked who's the best available driver?
Wood said, "In a perfect world, I told, her, I would like Ricky Rudd."
Rudd is about as high-profile as drivers get -- he's been winning for 20 years. He's won 22 races and is coming off back-to-back top-five finishes in Winston Cup points.
"I said `go get him,' " Moritz said.
Wood told his boss there was virtually no way to get Rudd. He was just hours away from signing a deal with Chip Ganassi's team.
Plus, he was expensive. Like, really expensive.
"I asked Eddie, I said, `Look, where I come from, and what I know, is that when you really need something that's important, you have to talk,' " Moritz said.
Wood called Rudd. He found out that the deal with Ganassi was close, but nobody had signed anything.
Wood, Moritz and everybody at Ford attacked.
Rudd even got a call from Edsel Ford, who told him how badly he was wanted by Ford's company.
Wood was impressed.
"I thought, `Can this really be happening?' " he said.
It was.
The two sides began negotiations. Problems were worked through, and a news conference was called for Aug. 20.
Two weeks after Moritz met Wood for the first time, Rudd was announced as the team's driver for 2003 through 2005.
At the news conference, tears welled up in tough old Eddie Wood's eyes.
His team had its driver. Just as important, it had a commitment from Ford and Moritz.
"The equipment will be there, the technology is there, the team is there, the pit stops will be among the fastest, and then we got the experienced driver that can make it happen," Moritz said.
And, oh, the excitement is there now, too.
"I can tell you this," Wood said. "We now have one fired-up race team."
All thanks to a Shawnee Mission North grad.
By JIM PEDLEY
The Kansas City Star
Eddie Wood was worried.
The legendary Wood Brothers racing team was losing its driver, the sponsorship situation was shaky and the very existence of the organization founded by Wood's father and uncle was facing an uncertain future.
A savior wasn't needed -- but sure would be welcomed.
Meet Judi Moritz.
Wood did about two months ago. He met her shortly after Moritz ascended into a job at Ford Motor Company's Motorcraft racing division.
In that position, Moritz had the power to rescue the Wood Brothers' Winston Cup organization. Now, it appears she just might have done that.
Wood calls what Moritz has done for his team "magical."
Moritz really doesn't look much like a savior -- especially the savior of a Winston Cup team. In fact, she looks a bit out of place in the loud, dirty chaotic garage areas where she now performs part of her job.
But when she starts giving orders, she sure sounds like somebody who can get people to save themselves.
Moritz was born in Kansas and graduated from Shawnee Mission North High School before heading off to Kansas State.
The marketing-career path took her to the Detroit area and to Ford.
At Ford, she became involved in event marketing. Earlier this year, the event-marketing department was combined with the motor-sports division, and Moritz suddenly had the fate of the Wood Brothers thrust into her hands.
The Wood Brothers team has been around since the early 1950s, when it was founded by Glen and Leonard Wood in tiny Stuart, Va. In the years since, it has had the best drivers in the sport working for it -- including Fred Lorenzen, Curtis Turner, A.J. Foyt, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough.
The team has 97 victories, but there has been just one by current driver Elliott Sadler -- and none since last season. Sadler heads this weekend to Kansas Speedway 25th in points.
The Wood Brothers were never a big team in terms of money and equipment. These days, they are considered a small team.
Earlier this year, Sadler confirmed speculation that he wanted to move on. Shortly after that it was announced that he would move to the mega-operation of Robert Yates Racing.
Tough times, it appeared, were about to get tougher.
In early August, Moritz, relatively new to her job, took to the road to meet Eddie Wood, son of Glen Wood. Eddie Wood now runs the team with his brother, Len.
"We went down just so they could meet the new kid," Moritz said.
After the introductions, Moritz pulled Wood aside and got down to business.
"I said `I know we don't have a driver, what do we need to get someone good?' " Moritz said.
Wood told Moritz that he couldn't even think about hiring a driver until he knew if he was going to be in business next year.
"I said, well, I can give you a three-year deal," Moritz said.
Moritz then asked who's the best available driver?
Wood said, "In a perfect world, I told, her, I would like Ricky Rudd."
Rudd is about as high-profile as drivers get -- he's been winning for 20 years. He's won 22 races and is coming off back-to-back top-five finishes in Winston Cup points.
"I said `go get him,' " Moritz said.
Wood told his boss there was virtually no way to get Rudd. He was just hours away from signing a deal with Chip Ganassi's team.
Plus, he was expensive. Like, really expensive.
"I asked Eddie, I said, `Look, where I come from, and what I know, is that when you really need something that's important, you have to talk,' " Moritz said.
Wood called Rudd. He found out that the deal with Ganassi was close, but nobody had signed anything.
Wood, Moritz and everybody at Ford attacked.
Rudd even got a call from Edsel Ford, who told him how badly he was wanted by Ford's company.
Wood was impressed.
"I thought, `Can this really be happening?' " he said.
It was.
The two sides began negotiations. Problems were worked through, and a news conference was called for Aug. 20.
Two weeks after Moritz met Wood for the first time, Rudd was announced as the team's driver for 2003 through 2005.
At the news conference, tears welled up in tough old Eddie Wood's eyes.
His team had its driver. Just as important, it had a commitment from Ford and Moritz.
"The equipment will be there, the technology is there, the team is there, the pit stops will be among the fastest, and then we got the experienced driver that can make it happen," Moritz said.
And, oh, the excitement is there now, too.
"I can tell you this," Wood said. "We now have one fired-up race team."
All thanks to a Shawnee Mission North grad.
