Craig's Corner: Pressure mounting in Triple Eight/Walkinshaw rivalry
This is the third exclusive Supercars.com column by Supercars Hall of Famer Craig Lowndes for the 2026 season. Seven-time Bathurst winner Lowndes will unpack each round of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship from his own perspective, continuing with last weekend's ITM Taupō Super 440.
Toyota breakthrough
It’s a massive achievement. It’s also unexpected. To get a win this early on, being a new manufacturer in the sport, is very impressive.
Already, Walkinshaw TWG Racing has a win, a pole, multiple podiums, and nearly scored a 1-2. Every team up and down the lane would love that. Doing that with a brand new car is remarkable.
I say unexpected, because I had them perhaps winning in the second half of the season. You need to learn a new car, make a new engine work, and ensure it’s all competitive.
Look back to the start of Gen3, when there were issues with Ford. For Toyota to come in and develop a package that is competitive immediately, is a credit to everyone involved.
A new Kiwi kid in town
Ryan Wood is fantastic. He doesn't over overthink things. He's got great people around him. Greg Murphy definitely keeps him levelheaded.
He somewhat reminds me of me a little bit, because he's just out there to have fun and race cars. You can see there's nothing else in his life at the moment that he'd rather do.
It’s also a credit to Ryan Walkinshaw and Bruce Stewart to be able to give him a car capable of winning, and Chaz Mostert for that matter.
You could see the emotions on Neil Crompton, which says it all.
Through all the hard work behind the scenes, I’ve always said that it’s a driver’s job to reward the team with wins. Ryan did that.
Triple Eight vs Walkinshaw TWG
There's always gonna be some aggro out there. We’re really starting to see the passion between not only the drivers, but the teams.
This rivalry is really starting to rear its head. You can see what it means to the drivers now. They’re going to have to fight for positions and make a statement, and command each passing opportunity.
Some drivers deal with the pressure differently. What happened with Broc Feeney and Chaz Mostert on the straight, that was an outburst from both drivers.
We also saw how Ryan Wood reacted when he came out of the pits behind Chaz. That was a big reaction over the radio, and some genuine passion in his voice.
We're seeing what it means now for the drivers to not only be up the front, but to deliver the results that they and their teams are all searching for.
Who really is the benchmark?
It's getting harder and harder to call. As the season goes on, different teams will become stronger. I think Red Bull Ampol Racing are definitely doing that. They're obviously learning the new ways of the Mustang.
Brodie Kostecki is the form driver at the moment. He’s come into this season stronger and more fired-up than ever. We know his ability in a race car, but he's got extra determination.
Same with Broc. What Broc learned from last year, he's now putting into focus for this year.
But now, you’ve for Ryan Wood, who was brilliant on the weekend, with Chaz Mostert, Matt Payne and Cam Waters yet to show their best.
Who wins the Jason Richards Trophy?
Ryan Wood is obviously in the box seat. He knows Ruapuna really well.
Many Australian drivers went down there after the Grand Prix to get to know the track, so there won’t be too many surprises for them.
But you can’t beat local knowledge. Wood, Matt Payne and Andre Heimgartner will know more than anyone what they’re in for, so I’m tipping Wood to take it out.
