Woodard was crew chief on the first Penske Panzer, the turbocharged 917-10 in which George Follmer and Mark Donohue dominated the Õ72 Can-Am.
Photo: Porsche
Woody Woodard Photo: Yours Truly Photography
Woody Woodard was employed as a mechanic by Roger Penske, and in so doing worked closely with Mark Donohue on the Trans-Am effort, the Porsche Turbo Can-Am car and the most famous non-winning Ferrari ever, in the team’s Quixotic effort to best Porsche at the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans. Today, he runs a small restoration shop in Virginia, and returns frequently to Watkins Glen for the vintage weekend in September. That’s where our John Wright caught up to this straight-talking man who for many years put his own singular stamp on Penske Racing machines.
Could you describe for us, if you will, your path to the Penske team.
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