Ryan Wood out, Will Brown in the wars in manic start
Wood's Toyota forced out with suspected airbox issue
Brown penalised over lap 1 clash with Rylan Gray
Finals contenders Ryan Wood and Will Brown’s rollercoaster seasons have copped fresh blows in a manic start to the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440 finale.
Wood was forced out of fourth position on the grid with a suspected airbox issue in his #2 Mobil 1 Truck Assist Toyota, in what was his third significant mechanical issue of the season.
Around lap 1, 2024 Supercars champion Brown — who started 19th — clashed with Shell V-Power Racing Team took Rylan Gray through Turn 6.
Gray’s Ford was sent through the thick Perth sandtrap, and was also forced into the lane with damage.
Brown was quickly handed a 15-second penalty for his troubles, with engineer Andrew Edwards suggesting he prepare for an early stop. Brown was ultimately brought in on lap 19.
Over team radio, Brown insisted there was little he could do, but it did little to help Gray’s cause.
At the end of lap 9, Kai Allen — who started 23rd after a power steering issue in qualifying — attacked Brown into Turn 7, before Brown got back down the inside.
Allen retaliated with contact through Turn 1, before side to side contact sent Allen’s Penrite Mustang through the tarmac across the Turns 2/3 section.
Brown and Wood commenced the race in seventh and eighth overall, 300 and 207 points above the Finals cut-line respectively.
