New Zealand’s latest motorsport hero has collected his first win on home soil. Wellington’s Ryan Wood has claimed Race 9 of at the ITM Taupō Super 440, his second career win and first in Aotearoa.
Along with a win at home for Wood, it is an historic first win for Toyota in Supercars, which debuted the GR Supra Supercar in the Championship just two months ago.
In just its ninth race, Toyota becomes the quickest new manufacturer to win in the Supercars era.
After starting on pole, the 22-year old Wood led until the final pit stop sequence when teammate Chaz Mostert emerged in the lead for the sprint to the flag.
Wood then passed Mostert with eight laps to go and held off Mostert and a charging Broc Feeney to score a hugely popular win.
Feeney in second and Mostert third rounded out the podium, with 2024 champion Will Brown and Auckland’s Matt Payne completing the top five.
Announced earlier in the day, Sunday’s action at Taupō has been cancelled due to incoming Cyclone Vaianu.
Brodie Kostecki leaves Taupō with the championship lead after finishing sixth in today’s race.
The Championship now heads to New Zealand’s South Island for the very first time, with the inaugural Supercars event at Ruapuna Raceway taking place next weekend.
The 120-kilometre race scheduled for Sunday will instead be held on Friday of next weekend’s ITM Christchurch Super 440.
The driver who scores the most points across this weekend’s event in Taupō and next weekend in Christchurch will be awarded the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, named for beloved Kiwi driver Jason Richards who succumbed to cancer in 2011.
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