Home Hero’s Triumph
Home hero Ryan Wood has delivered Toyota its first victory in just its third race meeting since joining the Supercars grid. Starting from pole at the Taupo circuit, located in the middle of New Zealand’s North Island, Wood emerged from his second and final pitstop behind teammate Chaz Mostert, but with a significant tyre offset.
Despite initial anger at having lost out to the defending champion, Wood was able to use the tyre advantage to catch and then pass his teammate. He was never headed.
Wood was born in Wellington, on the southern tip of the North Island. He crossed the line for his second career victory just over three seconds ahead of a fast-finishing Broc Feeney. Mostert crossed the line third to give Toyota its first double-podium finish.
“Home town hero does not go far enough to describe what this kid means to this part of the world … it’s an enormous moment,” Richard Craill said in commentary for Fox Sports.
It’s the first time a brand other than Ford or General Motors has won a Supercars race since May 2018, when Rick Kelly won the opening race of the weekend at Winton for Nissan. It’s also the quickest a new brand has its first race in the category.
“I’m so incredibly proud of our team and what we’ve done with this beautiful car,” a visibly emotional Wood said after the race.
“To win in our third round is pretty special. This is incredible. I can’t believe it. I’m sorry about all my emotion, it just means so much.
“To do it at home in front of so many friends and family and supporters of mine is so incredible.”
Toyota debuted the Supra at Sydney Motorsport Park in February with five cars – two for Walkinshaw and three for Brad Jones Racing. The car was immediately competitive.
Wood scored the brand’s first podium in the second race last time out at the Australian Grand Prix, and backed it up with another in the opening race of the weekend in Taupo earlier on Saturday.
Cameras caught former commentator Neil Crompton celebrating with the Walkinshaw team on the pit wall as Wood crossed the line. Crompton played a crucial role in bringing the brand into the sport, and this week was confirmed as Toyota Australia’s motorsport advisor.
“Three years … a lot of hard work,” he told the broadcast.
“The last six months have been challenging, and I battled and knocked away cancer a few years ago, (but) I set myself a goal to not look back, be positive and make good things happen.
“This is a great thing for the sport.”
Crompton then rattled off a stack of names who also played important roles in Toyota’s arrival.
“They believed a wanker, because there is no logical reason to believe in what I said,” he continued.
“But we stayed the course, and this great group of men and women, together with the same group down at (Brad Jones Racing) worked their backsides off … just a huge moment in my life.
“It’s just an amazing feeling. I just had a massive heart rate, sweaty palms … I dared to dream that it might have happened (and) we nearly got a 1-2 out of it. Extraordinary.”
The cancellation of Sunday running meant this was the final race of the Taupo weekend. Sunday’s race has been rescheduled for next Friday afternoon when the category travels to the Ruapuna circuit outside Christchurch for the first time.
