Wingman candidates reemerge as 2026 Finals heats up
Ryan Wood, Kai Allen eliminated, both have teammates still in
Wood played crucial role in Chaz Mostert's 2025 title win
The eliminations of Kai Allen and Ryan Wood could add extra spice to the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, given the scenes of a dramatic 2025 Semi Final at Sandown.
The 2026 Finals field was slashed from 10 to seven on the Gold Coast, with Penrite Racing and Walkinshaw TWG Racing losing one driver each in Allen and Wood.
At Sandown last year, Wood played a critical role in helping Mostert progress, defending from a rapid Will Brown in the closing laps to protect his teammate. Mostert won the race and qualified for Adelaide, where he clinched a maiden championship.
The speedy Wood is set to be a hot topic once again, while Penrite Racing faces a role reversal of the 2025 Grand Final, when Payne was out to help Allen towards championship glory.
Payne, Kostecki, Mostert, Cam Waters and Anton De Pasquale will all be hoping their respective teammates can play a supporting role, and take points away from their rivals. Triple Eight, meanwhile, still has two drivers with a shot at winning the title in Brown and Broc Feeney.
"He played the defence game so well," Mark Skaife said of Wood's 2025 Sandown performance on MotorRacing 360.
"But think about that for Matt Payne too, because Kai Allen's gonna be right up there, so they can play a role now.
"For me, the one that actually stands out is Red Bull Ampol Racing, when you've got Will Brown and Broc Feeney, how does that play out now? Because at some point, and it'll probably happen through the course of Sandown, you've actually got to play to your favourite."
Finals gamesmanship was on show on the Gold Coast; notably, Mostert and Wood attempted a swap to help the latter qualify, while Rylan Gray emerged as a brief thorn in Broc Feeney’s side. Feeney caught Gray — who had yet to stop — in the Sunday race, helping Gray’s teammate Brodie Kostecki rapidly close the gap.
Triple Eight Team Manager Mark Dutton told Supercars' Equip Super Cool Down Lap podcast that, had Wood qualified, WTWGR wouldn't have been able to call on a "tailgunner" — so long as Wood can go with Mostert.
"You talk about teammate help, you need a fast teammate too. There's not just this miraculous, 'your teammate can help you'. If they're not up the front, they can't help," Mark Winterbottom said on MotorRacing 360.
"So Ryan Wood, Kai Allen, they're up the front week in, week out, and they're happy to drive this way because Ryan Wood loves this. You need a fast teammate, not just a teammate, and this is where Brodie may come unstuck a little bit with a rookie.
"If you're Chaz Mostert right now, you commercially say you're unhappy that Ryan Wood didn't get in. Deep down, we're racers he would be so happy that he's got that guy in to help him."
Tickford Director of Motorsport Rod Nash is hopeful Thomas Randle, who didn't reach the Finals altogether, can push Waters towards Adelaide.
“We still haven’t found the speed we’ve been missing, but around Surfers it’s not a big drama and we just have to work on it. We need to keep improving,” said Nash, whose team is now 10 races without a podium finish.
“We know our cars have been quick at Sandown in the past, but we've still got to find the little gain that’s been penalising us through the whole season.
"It’s also important that your 'wingman' is working well, and Tom is doing a good job on that front.”
Track action at Sandown commences on Friday November 6.
