'Fighting with two fists': How firebrand Wood is firing up WAU
Ryan Wood being mentored by Chaz Mostert, Greg Murphy
WAU young gun has had run-ins with Supercars champions this season
Wood currently ninth with two rounds left before Finals cut-off
The arrival of Chaz Mostert in 2020 heralded the dawn of a new era for Walkinshaw Andretti United, with Mostert's star undeniable as the 2014 Bathurst winner, and to that point a 13-time race winner.
However, it also led to another problem for the wider team, as they struggled to find a competitive teammate to lift both cars #25 and #2 to the level of Mostert.
First it was 2019 Super2 champion Bryce Fullwood who was drafted in to a plum gig in 2020, and showed limited glimpses of his potential in two seasons, before a disastrous two-year tenure for Nick Percat followed.
However, when the Walkinshaw Super2 program was revived in 2023, they unearthed a rare talent in then-19-year-old Kiwi Ryan Wood, who stormed to five wins in 12 races that season, on his way to third in the standings.
Not even 24 months later, and Wood is a Supercars race and pole winner, and is on the verge on securing a berth in the Supercars Finals Series that will decide the 2025 champion.
Along the way, Wood has proven to be one of the sport's biggest firebrands, with the passion driving WAU forward seemingly with every passing week.
This year has seen Wood caught up in high-profile incidents with Brodie Kostecki in Taupō, James Golding in Perth, and reigning champion Will Brown in Ipswich.
The incidents are not too dissimilar to situations involving both Mostert and Wood's mentor Greg Murphy throughout their careers, making their guidance all the more meaningful.
“We're lucky that he’s got two great mentors,” WAU CEO Bruce Stewart told Supercars.com.
"He's got Chaz day to day and in the garage and he's just leading him through. There’s no one better than Chaz to help a young, extremely talented young driver get to the next step.
“Equally, he's got Murph in his corner as well, who’s been there and done everything."
Having entered the season without any notable Supercars success to speak of, Wood now has one win, four podiums, and a Boost Mobile Pole Award to his name, helping him to a current ninth in the points standings, 34 points above the Finals cut-off.
It's now giving the WAU squad two bullets in the gun as they fight their way to the front of the grid, with the squad sitting just 93 points behind Tickford in the fight for third in the teams' standings.
Through it all, Stewart has made sure that Wood remains true to himself, with his quirky character outside of the car endearing him to fans, however he also acknowledged his emotions can be better harnessed during races.
"When we first got Woody, we consciously decided we didn't want to media train him too hard or anything like that, because there's something so authentic and genuine about him," Stewart said.
“His passion and energy brings people in, and we love it. Occasionally it might boil over, and we're gonna work with him to try and retain a level of calmness during the race.
"But equally, he's just an amazing source of energy for our team in and out of the car. It's great to have two really competitive drivers and they're pushing each other, and it's great for Mozzie.
“We genuinely do feel like we're fighting with two fists, but also we're fighting as a collective team together. It’s exciting times because we can only move upwards from here.”
With Wood's trajectory getting steeper, Mostert in the peak years of his career, and the highly-anticipated debut of the Toyota GR Supra in 2026, WAU could be on the verge of something special in the near-future.
