Rookie Allen putting Finals faith in veteran racer
Dale Wood to partner with Penrite Racing rookie Kai Allen
Allen currently 11th in championship, chasing Finals berth
Wood hunting first Bathurst 1000 podium in 18th start
Of drivers heading into the Ryco Enduro Cup under pressure to get their full-time stars into The Finals, Dale Wood is top of the list.
Through it all, Kai Allen is very much happy with that.
Penrite Racing rookie Allen sits 11th heading to the AirTouch 500 at The Bend, just behind Tickford Racing driver Thomas Randle.
The 2023 Super2 champion has been on the march in recent rounds, claiming multiple podiums in Darwin and Ipswich to power up the leaderboard.
There’s still work to be done to reach The Finals for several drivers, with Allen the first on the outside looking in.
Wood, who has been plying his trade in Porsche Carrera Cup in recent years, will make his 18th Bathurst start this October, and given Allen’s situation it is arguably the most high pressure of the lot.
After a strong pre-enduro test day, Allen — who will make just his third Bathurst start — liked what he saw in Wood, who is 22 years his senior.
“He's doing unreal, he is an absolute legend to work with,” Allen told Supercars.com of Wood.
“He is fitting really well in the car. He's really happy with my seat insert and the way we're all set up, and driver changes are really good.
“He was pretty quick on the test day too. He was actually keeping me on my toes a bit there. I was like, ‘This old bloke knows what he's doing’.”
Wood is still chasing his first Bathurst 1000 podium, scoring a best of fourth for Erebus Motorsport in the wet and wild 2017 race.
The 42-year-old was one of the standouts of the 2024 Great Race, partnering with Richie Stanaway to hold down a top six position for the balance of the day before a last-lap fuel shortage dropped them to ninth.
After two seasons as a Dick Johnson Racing co-driver, Allen arrives with his own name and number on the door, and has a championship to focus on.
First up, though, is a 500km race on home soil at The Bend, with Allen keen to get cracking.
“He had great feedback through the set-up changes and stuff that allowed me just to chill out through the day. I didn't have to really get in and do too much, so let him do the hard work,” Allen added.
"So I'm pumped for The Bend, excited to see how we go.”
The Ryco Enduro Cup will be run over the AirTouch 500 at The Bend from September 12-14, and the Repco Bathurst 1000 from October 9-12. Tickets are on sale now.
