Larry Woody
Encyclopedia
Larry "Woodrow" Woody is a retired sports writer for The Tennessean
, the morning newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee
. He is a three-time winner of the Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year award and is the author of several books, including Along For The Ride.
Woody covered NASCAR
from the early 1960s to late 2007 in addition to SEC
sports, minor league baseball
, the Tennessee Titans
, and the Vanderbilt Commodores
. The first NASCAR race he ever attended, he reluctantly covered.
He was inducted into the Martin Methodist College
Sports Hall Of Fame, part of the 2001-2002 class.
Woody took early retirement from The Tennessean in August, 2007.
had several negative encounters with the media. One of these included Larry Woody, who went over the incident in depth in his book Along For The Ride.
After the 2001 Sharpie 500
at Bristol Motor Speedway
in which Stewart won after a duel with Jeff Gordon
. The year before, Gordon had defeated Stewart and the two traded a lot of paint which prompted Stewart to intentionally bump into Gordon on pit road afterward leading to his first of many fines. During the post-race press conference following the 2001 victory, Woody asked Stewart if the 2000 battle had crossed his mind during the closing laps. Stewart asked Woody if he was a "local" and the two traded a few more words before the driver said "Look, if you've got a question I wish you'd go ahead and ask it. I'd like to get out of here sometime tonight!" Woody repeated the question and an angry Stewart (whom Woody described in the book as being "accustomed to intimidating the media" and not used to one of them "refusing to be intimidated and standing up to him".) NASCAR official Danielle Humphrey ended up stepping in between, asking "Any further questions for Tony?"
The Tennessean
The Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....
, the morning newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. He is a three-time winner of the Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year award and is the author of several books, including Along For The Ride.
Woody covered NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
from the early 1960s to late 2007 in addition to SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
sports, minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, and the Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
. The first NASCAR race he ever attended, he reluctantly covered.
He was inducted into the Martin Methodist College
Martin Methodist College
Martin Methodist College is a private, coeducational, liberal arts college located in Pulaski, Tennessee, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
Sports Hall Of Fame, part of the 2001-2002 class.
Woody took early retirement from The Tennessean in August, 2007.
Tony Stewart Controversy
During 2001-2002, Cup driver Tony StewartTony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
had several negative encounters with the media. One of these included Larry Woody, who went over the incident in depth in his book Along For The Ride.
After the 2001 Sharpie 500
Sharpie 500
The Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is one of two Sprint Cup races held at Bristol, the other being the Food City 500, but it is by far the more popular of the two...
at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
in which Stewart won after a duel with Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
. The year before, Gordon had defeated Stewart and the two traded a lot of paint which prompted Stewart to intentionally bump into Gordon on pit road afterward leading to his first of many fines. During the post-race press conference following the 2001 victory, Woody asked Stewart if the 2000 battle had crossed his mind during the closing laps. Stewart asked Woody if he was a "local" and the two traded a few more words before the driver said "Look, if you've got a question I wish you'd go ahead and ask it. I'd like to get out of here sometime tonight!" Woody repeated the question and an angry Stewart (whom Woody described in the book as being "accustomed to intimidating the media" and not used to one of them "refusing to be intimidated and standing up to him".) NASCAR official Danielle Humphrey ended up stepping in between, asking "Any further questions for Tony?"
Books
- Dixie Farewell: The Life and Death of Chunky Mullins (1994) Eggman Publishing. ISBN 978-0963502667
- Pure Sterling: The Sterling Marlin Story (1995) Eggman Publishing. ISBN 978-1886371064
- Sterling Marlin: The Silver Bullet (2002) ISBN 978-1582615677
- Sterling Marlin: Heading Into The Turn (2002) ISBN 978-1582615660
- Along for the Ride: A Collection of Stories from the Fast and Furious World of NASCAR (2003) Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1582616965
- Marx Martin: Marx Of Excellence (2004) Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 978-1582617596