In the colorful, often superstitious world of early NASCAR, the presence of characters as unique as the cars themselves added an extra layer to the spectacle. Perhaps the most famous was the intense aversion to the color green on a race car, stemming from the tragic 1920 death of Gaston Chevrolet in a green car. This belief was so strong that even into the 1980s, some drivers like Tim Richmond reportedly insisted on avoiding the green scheme, preferring a red Folgers coffee car over the green decaffeinated version. Another deeply ingrained superstition was the absolute ban on peanuts in the garage or pit area, believed to bring about wrecks.

Furthermore, the $50 bill was considered extremely unlucky by many, including Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Tony Stewart, stemming from an anecdote about two-time champion Joe Weatherly dying in a 1964 crash with two $50 bills in his pocket. But have you ever heard of the NASCAR superstition involving a fan? Well, now you have, as this is the story of Billy Wood, whose eccentric behavior and purported supernatural abilities made him a curious fixture at racetracks across the Southeast.

NASCAR’s most peculiar personality beyond the track

More than just a fan, Wood was a self-taught, home-schooled man who became a well-known presence in the garage areas, cultivating a reputation for possessing uncanny abilities to influence races. His entry into this unique role began quite innocently when, at the age of 17, he befriended the notoriously superstitious 2-time champion Joe Weatherly. The latter, convinced that his performance improved whenever Wood was at the track, would often bring him along to races, even flying him to venues, cementing Wood’s early connection to the racing elite.

However, a tragic turning point arrived in January 1964 with the death of Weatherly. Wood, deeply affected by the loss of his friend, soon began to manifest a new, more profound power. He claimed he could bestow good luck upon teams he favored and, conversely, curse those he disliked with misfortune. Wood developed signature gestures for his ‘hexes,’ including a twirling motion with his left hand pointed at a car for good luck, and a menacing cross of his index fingers with both arms extended for bad luck. His meticulous memory, even memorizing the license plate numbers of every team’s hauler, added a mystique. Team, while outwardly skeptical, often paid heed to his presence, some even dubbing him “Willie the Warlock.”

Wood’s predictions, sometimes eerily accurate, further cemented his legend. At the 1965 Daytona 500, with Junior Johnson leading early, track announcer Ray Melton remarked to Wood that Johnson looked set to win. Wood, with chilling conviction, replied, “No, he’s gonna crash in turn 2 next lap.” True to his word, Johnson indeed crashed moments later. He cultivated a reputation for bringing good fortune to Virginia teams like Wood Brothers and Lennie Pond, and even in Bill Dennis’s pits when Dennis astonishingly won three consecutive Sportsman races at Daytona.

Yet, Wood’s eccentricities often led to conflict. His most infamous act of defiance, however, was directed at Richard Petty. Wood openly disliked “The King” and claimed to hex him, though he admitted it didn’t work because Petty “didn’t believe in them.” This culminated dramatically in September 1974 at Richmond when Wood, in an act he later claimed was accidental, spat in Richard Petty’s face as he drove to victory lane, leading to the immediate revocation of Wood’s NASCAR license.

Wood’s influence wasn’t purely about curses either; it also bordered on coercion. NASCAR executive Bill Gazaway bluntly labeled his behavior as extortion for trying to leverage his supposed powers to get free perks. A notable confrontation occurred at the 1984 Daytona 500 when Wood demanded a hat from Bobby Allison’s crew chief, Gary Nelson, to which the latter refused. Allison, the reigning 1983 champion, subsequently endured a difficult 1984 season, which tragically culminated in him breaking his shoulder in a crash at Dover. Without hesitation, Wood claimed, “Am I responsible for it? Yes. I hated to see him get hurt, but I do not get along with Bobby Allison or his team. I told Gary Nelson if he didn’t give me that hat, I’d put a real bad hex on them. He was warned.” 

These chilling anecdotes solidified Billy Wood’s unforgettable, controversial legacy as NASCAR’s self-proclaimed hex master. Although stuff like that is unusual in present day, it isn’t uncommon to see bizarre fan engagements that shake the NASCAR world from time to time.

How a lawsuit reshaped NASCAR’s schedule forever

In the early 2000s, one man stood up to the might of NASCAR’s power brokers and won. Francis Ferko, a shareholder in Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI), filed a bold lawsuit in 2002, arguing that NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation (ISC) had violated antitrust laws by unfairly stacking the schedule in favor of tracks they owned. At the heart of his claim: Texas Motor Speedway had long been promised a second Cup Series race, but had never received it. Ferko wasn’t just talking; he had legal teeth, and the case quickly gained momentum.

By April 2024, the legal fight reached its conclusion in a dramatic fashion. To settle the lawsuit, ISC agreed to sell the beloved North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham to SMI for a reported $100 million. But instead of keeping it alive, SMI shut the track down. The Cup Series race that had once thrilled fans in Rockingham was moved to Texas, giving the Dallas-Fort Worth area its long-awaited second date.

The ripple effect didn’t stop there. With the addition of Texas to the playoff slate, the sport’s “Chase for the Championship” was forever altered. Suddenly, corporate power, legal maneuvering, and fan demand collided to decide where the Cup Series would race. And while Rockingham faded into history, the Ferko 500 rolled off the tongue like destiny fulfilled. A court case had done what lobbying and promises never could, changing the trajectory of NASCAR.