Winning Lotus from 1965 Indy 500 honored with Darlington throwback scheme

The Las Vegas-winning No. 21 Ford of The Wood Brothers will be wearing a very special paint scheme for the Darlington throwback race, and it’s a livery that open-wheel fans will know well. Thursday at a special event held at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the team revealed that the red and white No. 21 Ford will turn yellow and green for the weekend of April 6.

The car will mirror the famous look of the Lotus Type 38 that won the 1965 Indianapolis 500 with Jim Clark. It was the first rear-engine car to ever win the historic event, and the Wood Brothers have a unique connection to Clark’s victory as they were an integral part in making it happen.

Glen Wood and his brothers Leonard, Delano and Ray Lee were all part of the winning pit crew, bringing their NASCAR expertise to give Clark the fastest pit stops possible. After back-to-back losses in the 500, John Cowley of Ford Motor Company was the one who first contacted Glen as he searched for an edge over the competition.

Jim Clark, Lotus 38-Ford

Photo by: Dave Friedman / Motorsport Images

“When we were asked by Ford Motor Company to pit Jim Clark’s car for the Indy 500, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our family,” said Leonard Wood. “We were just a group of guys from Stuart, Virginia, working on stock cars, and suddenly, we were part of something that would become a unique part of our history. To see that same scheme now on our No. 21 Ford Mustang for Throwback Weekend at Darlington is really special. It brings back a lot of memories, and it’s a great way to honor that moment.”

Recalling that race in 1965, Leonard said on Thursday how an inspector looked over the car, skeptical of how far up the tank the outlets were. He told them that they wouldn’t be able to pour 20 gallons in a minute come race day. Well, it turns out the crafty Wood Brothers managed to dump 58 gallons into the tank in around 15 to 20 seconds. It was such a stark contrast from the norm of the time that the race broadcast couldn’t believe it.

“News commentator says ‘well you can bet they didn’t get it full. Green (new) crew and all that. So they’ll be back in, you can count on that,'” recalled Leonard at the unveiling of this retro scheme. Taking advantage of gravity by running the hoses downhill as much as possible and using a large venturi in the system, they got fuel flowing into the tank far faster than anyone else in the field. The commentators were baffled as the car kept running without issue, ultimately leading 190 of 200 laps en route to winning the race.

“One of the greatest moments of my life”

They will honor that historic achievement at Darlington with Josh Berry running a paint scheme pulled directly from Clark’s No. 82 Lotus.

“This is one of the greatest moments of my life,” said Leonard as the car was finally revealed. “Looking back and pitting that car 60 years ago and now looking at this one … to still be here pulling for these guys to win races, it’s just been awesome. I started out hoeing corn (removing weeds from the corn fields) and brother Glen said there’s gotta be something better to do than hoe corn. So that’s why we’re here today … this has been so much fun and like I said, this is one of the most rewarding moments of my life.”