Coulthard experience steering Wood's Bathurst debut
Bathurst debut "dream come true" for Ryan Wood
Wood one of six Great Race debutants for 2024
Kiwi the only full-timer making Bathurst 1000 debut
Ryan Wood has labelled his Bathurst debut a “dream come true,” with the Walkinshaw Andretti United rookie leaning on Fabian Coulthard ahead of his first Great Race start.
Wood, who will turn 21 in December, will line up alongside two-time Bathurst podium finisher Coulthard in the #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Ford Mustang for this weekend's Great Race.
The young New Zealander debuted in the main game at the Mountain in February, but was left with bittersweet memories after suffering a double DNF.
Wood has been fighting back since, racing to an impressive fourth on home soil in Taupō, and scoring a maiden front row in Perth. Heading to Bathurst, he is only 174 points from 10th place in the championship, with Bathurst offering 300 points to the winner.
Wood and Coulthard showed strong pace at Sandown, with a spectacular Top Ten Shootout effort leaving Wood 10th on the grid. However, they were penalised mid-race and ultimately came home 15th on what proved a "diabolical" day for WAU.
For Wood, the Bathurst experience of Coulthard will prove valuable come the weekend, with the rising star keen to learn as much as possible from his 472-start veteran co-driver.
"I have been dreaming about this weekend, driving in the Bathurst 1000, for as long as I can remember, so the entire weekend is going to be a dream come true," the 20-year-old said.
"Really looking forward to starting the weekend off with track to town, it’s pretty special being able to take our cars out on the streets to hype up the weekend for the fans.
"It’s great to have Fabs alongside me this weekend, we’ve had so much fun together this year, he’s very experienced at Bathurst, I’ll be a sponge learning off him all weekend.”
For Coulthard, it will be start No. 21, having debuted the year after Wood was born. Only two other pairings have a bigger gulf in experience; Craig Lowndes' 30 starts to Cooper Murray's zero, and Garth Tander's 25 starts to Matt Payne's two.
Coulthard made his first start in 2004, and claimed podiums in 2017 and 2022 for DJR Team Penske and WAU, the latter alongside Chaz Mostert.
"It feels like we have been waiting all year for this weekend, I’ve been counting down the days, I’m excited,” said Coulthard, who is racing in Porsche Carrera Cup Australia.
"The first time over the top of the Mountain always feels pretty sketchy, I’m usually so focused I forget to blink.
"Anything can happen at Bathurst, but we’ve done the work, the team have been amazing, so we are ready for whatever is ahead of us."
