WOOD TAKES DRIVER OF YEAR HONORS FROM R L PROMOTIONS AFTER THREE TRACK TITLES AND A NATIONAL CROWN
By: Tony Paris

KESWICK,IA. (Jan. 10, 2007) - When Nathan Wood of Keswick entered the 2006 season he never thought it would turn out as good as it did. Wood was planning to run his hobby stock and try to sell it and focus on the stock car division, but when things started falling into place with wins in the hobby stock and nobody interested in buying the car. They decided to run it till it sold but the wins started coming and the chase for the Casey’s General Store USRA Weekly Racing Series and National Championship was going to be something to try and capture, so the chase was on with his family support from his father Deke Wood and mother Susie and fiancé Kimi Jo Sheetz along with his sister Amanda and several friends along with best friend Trevor who was at every race along with long hours in the shop. All the hard work showed with only four dnf`s in all of 2006.

The season kicked off at the always tough Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa with Wood doing double duty in the USRA hobby stock division and USRA stock car division. On April 8th the season kicked off with Wood taking his first win in the hobby stock and tenth in the stock car division. Woods consistency would continue with 26 events run at the Southern Iowa Speedway with thirteen wins with fifteen second place finished with twenty-two top fives and twenty-three top ten finishes. This was good enough to take the 2006 track championship in the hobby stock division and seventh in the stock car division.

The second night of racing each week for Wood was the venture to the Mountain-Dew Bloomfield Speedway to compete in the Kirkland Auto USRA Hobby Stock division with a close point battle all year with the former track champion Ben Jones. Wood would fined victory lane five times in 2006 with seven second place finishes. Wood hard work would score fourteen top five finishes and seventeen top ten finishes with twenty nights of racing action. The season championship night Wood’s second place finish to Bill Gibson was good enough for the 2006 track championship at the Mountain-Dew Bloomfield Speedway.

Each week the 52 team would make the long trip to the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway in Memphis, Mo. And the team made it payoff with nineteen nights of exciting racing action in the USRA Hobby Stock division and drove the purple, white and green 52 machine into victory lane eleven times. Wood would only finish in the bridesmaid spot one time with a second place finish. Seventeen top fives finishes and all nineteen nights in the top ten finishing position. This was Wood’s first full season at the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway with his best win percentage out of the three tracks. This was good enough to take his third track championship.
After three nights of racing the Wood racing teams hard work paid off with the Casey’s General Stores USRA National Championship going to Nathan Wood with some very impressive numbers after running each Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night action with sixty-eight nights of racing action. Wood would score thirty-one wins in 2006. With fifteen finishes in the runner-up spot followed by fifty-five top five finishes and sixty-one top ten finishes and only four dnfs. This showed that all the hard work and late nights in the shop paid off with three track titles and a national championship.

On Friday night January 5th R L Promotions honored the drivers from the Southern Iowa Speedway, Mountain-Dew Bloomfield speedway and the Pepsi Scotland County Speedway at the Hotel Ottumwa in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa with a large crowd on hand. Wood along with family, friends and sponsors were on hand to see driver Nathan Wood take home all three track championships in the USRA hobby stock division. A very special award from promoter Todd Staley of R L Promotions awarded Nathan Wood with a very special award, driver of the year after a very impressive 2006 season. Wood’s accepted the award and thanked everyone involved with making it a dream come true season. He thanked his family for all there support along with Bear from the Roost Tavern of Keota. He also thanked his sister Amanda for putting up with him thru the years along with Amanda’s boyfriend Steven Seely and last but not least his future bride Kimi Jo Sheetz for her patience. Nathan also wanted to thank his mom and dad for everything they have done to support him in racing.

The sponsors that help make the 2006 season such a success was the Roost Tavern in Keota who’s been involved with Wood racing ever since , Hammes Bulldozing, B&H Excavating, B&L Welding, Engine Works, Schroeder Frame and Alignment, Pro-Line Buildings, Long John Silvers, Sigourney Fast Stop, Seeley Photography, Sigourney Body Shop, Van Dee Bins, Heinold, Brubaker Trucking, Axmear Fabricating, Ogden Oil Co, Sigourney Tractor, Larry's Alignment, Keoco Auction, Country and More, Mi Ranchito, Herr Farms, Benny's Feed, Mark & Trudy ,Grandpa John, The Edmundsons, John & Shirley Linder, Beckie and Shane, Grandma & Grandpa Homan, Grandma & Grandpa Axmear, Julie & Matt, Aunt Virginia, and Mom & Dad and Sheetz Family.

The 2007 season will be a little different for Wood racing with the championship winning car being sold and it’s new home is in western Iowa. This is a true relief for several drivers who didn’t know if the always familiar 52 would be back in action in the hobby stock division for 2007, but Wood’s focus will be behind the wheel of a new stock car for 2007. So watch for the 52 crew and driver coming to a track near you.