How would you like to tour around the Country and display the Wood Brothers race car driven by Paul Menard? That is what Rick Lechner and his wife Nell do. They are based in Mooresville NC but travel all over the US showing off the Ford Mustang NASCAR race car.
Recently the duo brought the the car to our local Ford Dealer, Murfreesboro Ford, in Murfreesboro TN. They are the number 1 Ford Dealer in TN and sell some very high performance Mustangs including Shelby, Saleen and Roush! Although NASCAR now races the Mustang, 50 years ago the cars to beat were the Ford Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler/Spoiler II. The Wood Brothers were one of the dominate teams and their driver, Cale Yarborough, was already a legend.
What better way to demonstrate the difference in racing over 50 years than to park a current race car next to the street version of the NASCAR stars from back in the day? That is just what my wife and I had the opportunity to do. We took our 1969 Cale Yarborough Spoiler and 1969 Ford Talladega and parked them next to the Wood Brothers 2019 Mustang race car. What a thrill! It was a great day of bench racing and comparing cars. The caretaker of the Wood Brothers car when it is out on tour is Rick Lechner. He and his wife were very knowledgeable about the car and the Wood Brothers. Upon any request, Rick would fire up the race car to thrill onlookers. Smiles were guaranteed every time. Check out the video below for a small hint of what it was like.
I also have to mention Randy Sunbury, Parts Manager for the dealership. He was a terrific host. He not only made the #21 cars visit possible he also provided free hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks for anyone who stopped by. I “stopped by” more than once!”
If you ever get the opportunity to see this car on display in your area do not miss it.
The engine is a real NASCAR piece and Randy was happy to fire it up if anyone asked. Check out our video.
