Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Woody posted on his Facebook page:

"To all my friends, as stated the first of the year, Reynolds points meet in October will most likely be my last Race. So you guys stop by and say hello and goodbye, as this is a sad moment in my life, it feels like losing a part of you and it hurts so bad maybe some of you can relate and some could give a crap less. Good luck to all of you that can continue racing, i will be pulling for you!"
Woodro Josey

I don't have to tell you what a legend Woodro is in the sport of Drag Racing. From his early days to driving MoPars with the Barnett's and Steve Bagwell to owning and running his own machine shop that turned out some of the quickest GM Stockers ever known to man! Woody is a member of the NHRA Division 2 Hall Of Fame and is as well known as any in this sport. I for one am honored to call him my friend and will miss seeing him and his wheel standing Firebird at the races. Hopefully he won't be a stranger and we will still see him walking through the pits talking with all his friends. Jim

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Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

X's a gazillion. He was and still is one of my hero's and I followed his racing long before I ever became involved with working for NHRA and IHRA. Take care Woodro and hope to see you at a race sometime down the road.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

One of the sports all time greats.
Wishing you the best, Woodro.
Pete

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Woodro is my friend, as well as a hero and a mentor. The races have not been the same without him since he cut back. It'll be a sad day, much as it was when I watched Arnold Greene last year at the Atlanta points race. I felt truly honored to join Bill Grubbs in helping Arnold a couple of times at that race last year.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

What a great guy,enjoy your retirement Woodro!

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

i remember as a young`n growing up in the 70`s and reading and watching Mr Woodro, and always wonder how is he making that car` go that quick, never got to meet you Mr Woodro, enjoy yourself

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Wow! Woodro Josey is retiring, can't be, I hope Mr Josey will continue to keep an eye out on the sport he invested so much in. I feel sad losing a pioneer of our great sport.You never retire from something you love, you just do less of it. Claude Ruel

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

NO, you can't !!!!

Remember your 'bucket list' to run at Pomona ??????????????????????

My 'blue car' is available any time for ya mate !!! Better get it done sooner than later though LOL

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Wow, makes me sad to see guys I raced with many years ago (he was racing a '65 Chevelle M/S at the time) finally throw in the towel.

His handiwork definately has been a major influence in stock eliminator.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Enjoy it Woodrow ,You deserve it......

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I'm sorry Woodro, but you cannot retire. Do not care what you think or want, you cannot retire. I have been gunning for you since the times you whipped me in long ago time. I almost had you a couple of years ago, but the pairings changed, I was so disappointed.
So, as you can see, you cannot retire, or I will be forever missing out in revenge.

Good luck, buddy.

Ron Ortiz

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Say it ain't so!!! Woody ain't old enough. Me & Big Stuff and the famous Dog (Country, Puppy, Nother, and all the Dogs of Jimmy Hildago) can't stand the loss.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Thanks Guys for all the kind words, yes, i wish it wasn't so too, but the time has come, oh believe me, it's a hard thing to swallow. There is no one that ever loved Stock and SuperStock more than i have, i went to bat for us on rules time and time again. Some times NHRA listened and sometimes they didn't, so now i am sure they will like it if i am not around. As the saying go's, i gave all! Good luck to all and Thanks!

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Woodro I hate to hear this. You have been a great friend for years. Great motor builder.. I may not be far behind.. Take care and have fun.. Show up at some races and keep everyone in line.. O that could be a hard thing to do.

Beast wishes

Bobby and Brittney

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

When I first started Stock racing my Corvette I was really struggling with trying to even run under the index all the time. Wesley introduced me to Woodro at a race in Baton Rouge. A little later I found a used motor that Woodro had built for someone else for sale at a price I could afford back then. I called Woodro and asked him if I bought it if he could fix it for me and without hesitation he said get it to him. That was when my car finally began to run respectably. Woodro, Thanks for helping out this rookie many years ago. I know you have done the same for many others. We will be in Georgia in October and will try to stop by to see you. Enjoy your your retirement. Mike & Barbara McMahan

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Just because you are retiring does not mean you cannot give NHRA some doo doo from time to time. You gotta keep them in line! Congrats Woodro and enjoy.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

It was the mid to late eighties, I was just a young dragracer 23-27 yrs old wanting to compete. I had just put a new motor in my dually and finished it up just in time to tow 600 miles to Warner Robbins Georgia to run superstreet in a 69 camaro. Well i made it but just before the track my truck started running terrible. I limped in and got a pit space and the first thing i did was take the valve covers off to find a loose rockerarm and bent pushrods. Not really knowing anyone i went around asking if anyone had some stock valvetrain parts for a 350ci engine. It wasn't long that someone said, "Go find Woodro he has everything!! So thats what i did and let me remind you he didn't know me from Adam. I told him what i needed and he was more than happy to help this kid get back running again. I broke down again on the way home however Woodro had givin me some extra pushrods so i was able to limp home. Come to find out my old stock pressed in studs were pulling up causing slack in the valvetrain. He is a fantasic dragracer and a great man. Goodluck my friend.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Woodrow,sounds like a good time for a 2011 Farewell Tour.

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Never met Woodro, but have been hearing about him for quite a while, and nothing was anything but glowing words...

You go Woodro! Do whatever you want to do... at some point, we all need to think about what we are doing, and what else we might want to do. So, if it feels like time to move on, smile at the memories of yesterday, and laugh at all the fun you will have tomorrow.

David
The New Hemi Guy

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

I'm not a racer of Woodro's status, just a little known racer who alway's wanted to be ,but I had fun ! I have to retire due to health reasons! Have a happy retirement Woodro, Enjoy life !..........John Lang (If anybody in D-3 wants my #365, they are up for grabs )! It's been the most fun a body can have ! ps....I didn't mean to steal Woodro's Good Bye !

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Around 2005 I was watching Stockers run and was really liking the EFI cars out there. I decided to build one myself. I didnlt know a thing about them...

Found a good car and bought it as a roller....

Started to buid an engine and one day decided to call Woodro for parts. He was very helpfull and got me on the right path. I was able to build a pretty good engine and made some decent laps with it.

I have to thank Woodro for his help and say he was a pleasure to deal with.........I think of him as I think of Bobby Warren....A very tough racer who knew how to run fast and win....

Enjoy your retirement Woodro

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Woodro, a true legend and a friend. Thanks my friend !

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

im calling woodro out come get some ol man unless ur scared maybe this will get him out of the outhouse, if not much respect for a good racer and hard worker and a fair and honest human being! will miss u

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

lol,,thanks Mickey, and thanks to all of you for the kind words, oh it's hard but as they say, all good things come to an end!

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

woodro... MJ and i are coming to CREW your last race...big stuff is in charge of the retirement party... we need a cake with a stripper in it !!!

captain jack

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Jack and MJ as your crew? OH BOY......now you're talking!! Party? I'm there!
Great idea Jack! Jim:cool:

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Re: Woodro Is Retiring! Att: Ron Ortiz
 

Ron i was just talking with a guy you may know and he said to pass this on to you. He and i have raced against each other since 1980, and he never outrun me, so what makes you think you can? LOL, now thats straight from Grant Lewis:D,,,lol

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

What makes me think that I can beat you and finally get my rightful vengence? Yes, I do know Grant Lewis. He may not have gotten his due merely to the fact that he ran away and went on into the Pro Stock, Comp, SS world. Remember that I got back at your old racing buddy Harold Culpepper, and you were next, been waiting for years. And then you go off and retire. Even Mickey called you out and instead you would rather live the life of a retiree. Next thing you know you are going to want to come to Florida to live and do some fishing or napping. Maybe that would be a good idea, yes, come to Florida, then maybe you could run just one SSSSA race and then vengence will be mine. What makes me think that I can out run you? First of all I am a young gun compared to you. Second, your vision is shot, you would be lucky to find the staging lanes let alone the stripe. And three, my alien heritage.

LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LMAO.

Bring it on Gramps, but first you have to stop at The Imperial Palace to get in the right frame of mind.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA getting old is an aging thing

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

"alien heritage"? Ah, that explains it Ron, I always knew you weren't from THIS world! Jim:eek:

.You are right about Grant Lewis. He never got his due respect. He also is a greatly skilled racer and as he well knows I am proud to be his friend!.

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Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Hey Woody,

Linda & I retired after our bad auto accident last year, but we are enjoying our travels. Both of us have bad backs, and Linda has had three surguries this summer. But we manage to get from place to place.

We arrived in the Bahamas last weekend, flying our plane to a remote island. We would love to have you & Linda make a trip with us either by plance or our boat. Give me a call next week when we get back into the country. Can't thank you & Linda enough for all ya'll did for us over the years.

No excuses accepted... cause you ain't got to go to work no mo!

No Problem

Re: Woodro Is Retiring!
 

Um... hey Pat, I think I might retire also, yeah that's the ticket.....retire from racing. Yeah.... stop racing. How much room on the plane of yours? JIm:rolleyes:


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