Ryan Wood (racing driver)
| Ryan Wood | |
|---|---|
 Wood at the Adelaide Grand Final in 2025 | |
| Nationality |  New Zealander |
| Born | 4 December 2003 Wellington, New Zealand |
| Supercars Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2024 |
| Current team | Walkinshaw TWG Racing |
| Racing licence |  FIA Silver (until 2024) FIA Gold (2025–) |
| Car number | 2 |
| Starts | 56 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 7 |
| Poles | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| Best finish | 10th in 2025 |
| Previous series | |
Ryan Ian Thomas Wood (born 4 December 2003) is a New Zealand racing driver from Wellington, New Zealand. He is currently competing in the Supercars Championship with Walkinshaw TWG Racing, driving the No. 2 Toyota GR Supra.
Early and personal life
[edit]Ryan Ian Thomas Wood was born on 4 December 2003 in Wellington, New Zealand.[1][2] Wood came from a racing family, albeit in a different discipline to the one in which Ryan would begin his career. His father, Shane, raced jetsprint boats and quadbikes, but pushed his son to compete in karting from a young age.[3] The majority of family funds were committed to Wood's karting endeavors, and Wood recalls that the family forewent new furniture and family holidays in the name of funding his racing.[3]
He counts his father, as well as former racing driver Greg Murphy, as his greatest mentors.[3]
Racing career
[edit]Sports car racing
[edit]Wood began his pro racing career in sports car racing, taking part in the Toyota Finance 86 Championship before graduating to Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia in 2022. In his lone season in the competition, supported by Team Porsche New Zealand and Earl Bamber Motorsport, he scored a double victory in the opening round at Sydney[4] before taking victories at The Bend[5] and Bathurst.[6] The championship fight between himself and Tom Sargent came down to the final round at Phillip Island, where Wood would ultimately finish second in the championship despite sweeping the weekend.[7] Wood had secured Porsche New Zealand's scholarship to compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, but forfeited the offer to compete in Super2 full-time in 2023.[8]
Wood returned to sports car racing in 2025, taking part in the GT World Challenge Australia alongside fellow Kiwi Steve Brooks.[9] The duo scored five podium finishes over the course of the season and were classified fourth in the Pro-Am championship.
Super2 Series
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After a strong season in the Porsche Sprint Challenge the year prior, Wood was offered a seat with Walkinshaw Andretti United for the 2023 Super2 Series. He would be racing in the #2 Holden Commodore ZB.[10]
The season started in Newcastle with Wood finishing in 8th place. For Race 2 of the weekend, he qualified the #2 WAU Holden on pole position.[11] However, he was caught out in an incident during the race. The next round was held at Wanneroo Raceway in Perth. Wood won both races that weekend, solidifying his challenge for the title. The next few rounds were a bit up and down, which meant he was on the backfoot going into the season final in Adelaide. He dominated the weekend, winning both races from Pole, but that was insufficient to secure the title. Wood eventually finishing the season in 3rd.[12]
Supercars Championship
[edit]Following his strong 2023 Super2 Series Campaign, Walkinshaw Andretti United confirmed that they had signed Wood to race for the team full time in 2024, replacing Nick Percat in the #2 Mustang.[13][14] Upon his debut at Bathurst, he was the only driver on the grid who had never taken part in a Supercars race.[15] Wood's arrival was cited early on as a 'big culture shift' within the organization, rectifying a soured relationship held between WAU and Percat at the conclusion of the 2023 season.[16] Wood endured a quiet rookie season, finishing a season-best fourth at Taupo before a repeat performance followed at Wanneroo.[17] He concluded the season 16th in the drivers' championship.
Over the offseason, Wood embarked on a fitness plan which saw him lose 25 kilograms before the start of the 2025 season. Wood cited his disappointing rookie season as a catalyst to change his mindset off the track, stating that he would "leave no stone unturned" in his effort to climb to the top of the Supercars grid.[3] During round three of the season, Wood claimed his first Supercars podium finish, bettering his best result at Taupo from 2024 with a third-place finish in race one. He referred to the moment as "a monkey off the back," and was spurred on by the race being in his home country, with compatriot Matt Payne taking the race victory.[18] Upon the series' return to Perth in June, Wood claimed his first series victory, a moment he described as the achievement of "[a] lifelong dream."[19] Wood added another pair of podiums at Queensland to conclude the Sprint Cup,[20] before an electrical failure stymied his chance at winning the Bathurst 1000 alongside Jayden Ojeda.[21] Wood also qualified for the first ever Supercars Finals Series by securing a top-ten finish in the regular season standings.[22]
Wood scored pole for the opening round of the Gold Coast 500, but was eliminated from contention before Sandown.[23] He would score three more podiums in the final five races, taking tenth in the championship. The Supercars website ranked Wood as #4 in its top ten Supercars drivers of the season, highlighting his relationship with teammate and season champion Chaz Mostert as well as his qualifying prowess as key contributors to his ranking.[24]
Open-wheel racing
[edit]For 2026, Wood was confirmed to compete in the 2026 Formula Regional Oceania Trophy.[25] Wood's primary goal was to develop a new set of skills through the open-wheel discipline, with the aim of taking them back to Supercars to "better himself as a driver."[26]
Racing record
[edit]Karting career summary
[edit]| Season | Series | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Cadet | 20th |
| North Island Sprint Championship - Cadet | 17th | |
| 44th Blossom Festival - Cadet | 10th | |
| 2013 | New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Cadet | 5th |
| New Zealand Sprint Championship - Cadet | 14th | |
| New Zealand Top Half Series - Cadet | 23rd | |
| North Island Sprint Championship - Cadet | 2nd | |
| CIK Trophy of New Zealand - Cadet | 7th | |
| 45th Blossom Festival - Cadet | 2nd | |
| 2014 | New Zealand Sprint Championship - 100cc Junior Restricted | 10th |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - 100cc Junior Restricted | 4th | |
| Bridgestone International Final - Vortex Mini ROK | 12th | |
| 46th Blossom Festival - Vortex Mini ROK | 1st | |
| 2015 | New Zealand Sprint Championship - Vortex Mini ROK | 20th |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Vortex Mini ROK | 1st | |
| 47th Blossom Festival - Vortex Mini ROK | 1st | |
| 2016 | New Zealand Sprint Championship - 100cc Junior Yamaha | 2nd |
| New Zealand Sprint Championship - Junior Rotax | 22nd | |
| RMC New Zealand - Junior Rotax | 2nd | |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Formula Junior | 2nd | |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - 100cc Junior Yamaha | 1st | |
| 2017 | New Zealand Sprint Championship - 100cc Junior Yamaha | 4th |
| New Zealand Sprint Championship - Junior Rotax | 2nd | |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - 100cc Junior Yamaha | 3rd | |
| RMC New Zealand - Junior Max | 1st | |
| RMC World Grand Final - Junior Max | 9th | |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Rotax Junior | 4th | |
| 49th Blossom Festival - Rotax Junior | 3rd | |
| 2018 | New Zealand Sprint Championship - Junior Max | 2nd |
| RMC New Zealand - Junior Max | 3rd | |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Junior Rotax | 4th | |
| 50th Blossom Festival - Rotax Junior | 3rd | |
| 2019 | New Zealand Sprint Championship - Rotax Max DD2 | 1st |
| New Zealand Sprint Championship - KZ2 | 5th | |
| CIK Trophy of New Zealand - KZ2 | 8th | |
| Race of Stars - KZ2 | 28th | |
| Australian Kart Championship - X30 | 7th | |
| New Zealand Schools Kart Championship - Rotax Light | 1st | |
| Australian Kart Championship - KA3 Senior | 45th |
Career summary
[edit]| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Best Bars Toyota 86 Championship New Zealand | Ryan Wood Motorsport | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 404 | 10th |
| 2021 | Best Bars Toyota 86 Championship New Zealand | Ryan Wood Motorsport | 15 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 894 | 3rd |
| 2022 | Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series | TekworkX Motorsport | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 45th |
| Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia | Earl Bamber Motorsport | 15 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 833 | 2nd | |
| 2023 | Super2 Series | Walkinshaw Andretti United | 12 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1296 | 3rd |
| 2024 | Supercars Championship | Walkinshaw Andretti United | 24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1492 | 16th |
| 2025 | Supercars Championship | Walkinshaw Andretti United | 34 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3455 | 10th |
| GT World Challenge Australia - Pro-Am | Wolfbrook Team MPC | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 123 | 4th | |
| 2026 | Formula Regional Oceania Trophy | mtec Motorsport | 15 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 276 | 5th |
| Tasman Series | 2nd | ||||||||
| Source:[27] | |||||||||
* Season still in progress
Super2 Series results
[edit](key) (Race results only)
| Super2 Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Position | Points | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Walkinshaw Andretti United | 2 | Holden Commodore ZB | NEW R1 8 |
NEW R2 Ret |
BAR R3 1 |
BAR R4 1 |
TOW R5 8 |
TOW R6 5 |
SAN R7 1 |
SAN R8 3 |
BAT R9 Ret |
BAT R10 4 |
ADE R11 1 |
ADE R12 1 |
3rd | 1296 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Supercars Championship results
[edit]Complete Bathurst 1000 results
[edit]| Year | Team | Car | Co-driver | Position | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walkinshaw Andretti United | Ford Mustang S650 | Fabian Coulthard
|
15th | 161 |
| 2025 | Walkinshaw Andretti United | Ford Mustang S650 | Jayden Ojeda
|
19th | 149 |
Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results
[edit]| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 |  Ziggo Sport Tempesta by ARGT
|
Chris Froggatt Jonathan Hui Lorenzo Patrese
|
Ferrari 296 GT3 | Bro | 262 | 10th | 3rd |
Complete Formula Regional Oceania Trophy results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | mtec Motorsport | HMP 1 4 |
HMP 2 4 |
HMP 3 18 |
HMP 4 Ret |
TAU 1 1 |
TAU 2 5 |
TAU 3 3 |
TAU 4 1 |
TER 1 7 |
TER 2 2 |
TER 3 C |
TER 4 8 |
HIG 1 6 |
HIG 2 5 |
HIG 3 6 |
HIG 4 5 |
5th | 276 |
Complete New Zealand Grand Prix results
[edit]| Year | Team | Car | Qualifying | Main race |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | mtec Motorsport
|
Tatuus FT-60 - Toyota | 7th | 5th |
References
[edit]- ^ "RYAN WOOD MOTORSPORT LIMITED". New Zealand Companies Office. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Ryan Wood Biography". Supercars.
- ^ a b c d Kermeen, Mat (8 October 2025). "Ryan Wood's second crack at the Bathurst 1000, minus the sack of potatoes and gastro". Stuff. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ O'Brien, Connor (29 May 2022). "Wood triumphs in Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge". Speedcafe. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "The Bend Wrap: Wood and Sargent share Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge wins". Speedcafe. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ Smy, Damion (12 November 2022). "Wood keeps Porsche title hopes alive with double victory". Speedcafe. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "Wood dominates final round while Sargent seals Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Championship". Porsche Newsroom. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ "Wood forfeits Porsche scholarship for Super2 drive". Speedcafe. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ Chapman, Simon (28 March 2025). "Kiwi Supercars star secures GT World Challenge debut". Speedcafe. Retrieved 17 January 2026.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (20 December 2022). "WAU announces second Super2 driver". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Coch, Mat (12 March 2023). "Wood seals narrow Super2 pole in Newcastle". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ O'Brien, Garry (26 November 2023). "Wood's double win as Allen takes the Super 2 title". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ Herrero, Daniel (1 September 2023). "WAU announces Ryan Wood Supercars promotion". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ "WAU promotes rookie to main game". Supercars.
- ^ Long, David (16 February 2024). "Kiwi rookie Ryan Wood insists he won't be pushed around in maiden Supercars season". Stuff. Stuff Limited. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (22 March 2024). "Walkinshaw: Wood brings 'big culture shift' to WAU". Speedcafe. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (11 February 2025). "Wood hunting trophies in second Supercars campaign". Speedcafe. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (12 April 2025). "'Monkey off the back': Wood celebrates maiden podium". Speedcafe. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ Chapman, Simon (7 June 2025). "Wood achieves 'lifelong dream' with first Supercars win". Speedcafe. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Brown withstands Feeney blowtorch in wild Ipswich sprint". Supercars. 9 August 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
Ryan Wood... claimed his second podium in as many starts.
- ^ "Sinking feeling for Wood as Bathurst victory slips". Supercars. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "First ever Supercars Finals driver field set in Bathurst". Supercars. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Supercars News: Mostert completes clean sweep at GC500". AutoRacing1. 26 October 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Top 10 Supercars drivers of 2025: #4 Ryan Wood". Supercars. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (1 November 2025). "Ryan Wood to race Formula Regional Oceania". Speedcafe. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ O'Brien, Connor (9 January 2026). "The 'real end goal' for Wood's open-wheel dabble". V8 Sleuth. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Driver: Ryan Wood". DriverDB. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
External links
[edit]- "Ryan Wood Biography". Supercars.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- "Ryan Wood - Racing career profile - Driver Database". driverdb.com. Retrieved 5 January 2024.