How dad's simple advice helped deliver Wood masterclass
Father's simple advice helped deliver Ryan Wood masterclass
Walkinshaw TWG Racing driver won Race 9 from pole position
Wood survived scare to defeat arch-rival Broc Feeney
Ryan Wood channelled advice from his father to deliver an emotional and historic victory in Taupō.
The Walkinshaw TWG Racing driver won Race 9 from pole position, surviving a scare in the pit cycle to claim just his second Supercars victory.
Wood's win was a long time coming, following a series of heartbreaks throughout 2025, headlined by a late engine issue while fighting for victory in the Bathurst 1000.
Victory on home soil prompted a wild reaction from Wood, who got onto the roof his Mobil 1 Truck Assist Toyota and screamed at the top of his lungs.
It helped bring the young Kiwi full circle after what he termed as "pay cheque to pay cheque racing," with his parents managing a car grooming business.
While racing often left in the bank account, leaving behind strain and stress, Wood chased his dreams and is now one of the most recognisable athletes in his native New Zealand.
With the pressure on come Saturday in Taupō, Wood absorbed words from his father Shane, who has been there every step of the way.
"My dad used to tell me before every race, just go out there and be corner-perfect. That whole race, I tried to be corner-perfect," Wood explained.
"That was what a tried to hone in on in that last stint when I tried to catch the champ [Mostert] here, that's what I tried to do and lucky enough it paid off."
Wood joined Greg Murphy, Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, Andre Heimgartner and Matt Payne as New Zealanders to win a Supercars race in their home country. Only McLaughlin and van Gisbergen were younger when they got there.
"It's a very hard thing to do, to win a race, and to do it at home with my family here — they've never been here for a win — it's very, very special," Wood said.
"My parents have put in so much into my racing. Like all of us, we're so lucky to have great support from our parents.
"I'm sure there were a lot of tears flowing for my parents, they're pretty emotional like me, that's where I get it from."
Wood is fifth in the championship and leads the Jason Richards Trophy standings heading to Christchurch, where races will take place on all three days.
