Penrite Racing re-signs veteran co-driver Wood
Dale Wood completes 2025 Penrite Racing pairings
Wood will partner rookie Kai Allen in #26 Penrite Mustang
Garth Tander to return alongside Matt Payne in 2025
Veteran racer Dale Wood will return for a second endurance campaign with Penrite Racing in 2025, the Ford team has confirmed.
Wood, 41, will return to Penrite Racing’s #26 Mustang entry for the Tailem Bend and Bathurst races, albeit with new driver Kai Allen.
A consistent front-runner in Porsche Carrera Cup, Wood raced with Richie Stanaway last year, the duo racing to ninth at the Repco Bathurst 1000. Wood was also parachuted in to substitute for Stanaway at the Adelaide finale.
Allen will be contesting his first endurance campaign as a full-time Supercars driver, and will make his third Bathurst start this October. Wood, meanwhile, will make his 18th start.
Five-time Bathurst winner Garth Tander, who re-signed with the team last season, is set to return alongside Matt Payne for a second season.
Penrite Racing joins Erebus Motorsport and Dick Johnson Racing in formally announcing both enduro co-drivers, with Scott Pye (Triple Eight Race Engineering), Mark Winterbottom (Tickford Racing), Garth Tander (Grove Racing) and David Russell (PremiAir Racing) also locked in.
“I’m excited to be back with Penrite Racing for 2025. I really enjoyed becoming part of the team last season and getting to know all the staff within the wider Penrite Racing network,” Wood said.
"Working alongside Richie and the Car 26 crew was a highlight, and it was truly a year I enjoyed more than many others. I’ve watched Kai since his Super3 days and always believed he was a future star of the sport.
"To be able to work with him and support him in his first full-time campaign is something I’m looking forward to.
"Having competed in last year’s endurance campaign, as well as Adelaide, I’m far more familiar with the car and the team moving into this season. This should make it easier to transition back into the Mustang, and ultimately set us up for success.”
Allen added: "I am very excited to partner up with Dale."With Dale being as experienced as he is, his leadership will be so important to our campaign. Having Dale in my corner for my first endurance campaign as a primary driver will help my preparation and allow me to extract the most out of myself.
"I’m sure we are going to have some fun and hopefully we can walk away after Bathurst with some great results."
Team Principal David Cauchi said: “We are excited to continue our relationship with Dale into 2025.
"Having continuity with our co-driver line-up will allow us to build on what we achieved last year. Dale brings a wealth of experience to the team which will be valuable for Kai in his rookie season.”
Tickets for the season-opening round in Sydney, on February 21-23, are on sale now.
