In a remarkable display of speed and skill, Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Ryan Wood dominated Practice 2 at the ITM Taupō Super440, setting a new Supercars lap record at Taupō International Motorsport Park, completing a lap time of 1.25.9778s.
Wood’s performance was particularly impressive given his earlier setback in Practice 1, where he caused a red flag. Demonstrating resilience and determination, he returned to the track with renewed focus, ultimately delivering a record-breaking lap that surpassed the previous qualifying record by over half a second.
The session concluded with an all-Ford top three, as Brodie Kostecki and Thomas Randle secured the second and third fastest times, respectively.
Andre Heimgartner continued his impressive performance in Practice 2, finishing the session in fourth place. The top four drivers were only covered by 0.09s, with some big names down the order.
Turn 9 is the corner to watch as several drivers struggle to keep their cars on track and controlled as they navigate the challenging track and high tyre degradation.
Richie Stanaway and Matt Payne finished the session 17th and 18th, respectively, with Jaxon Evans finishing further down in 21st.
PremiAir racing opted for their drivers Stanaway and Golding to run new tyres early, which didn’t pan out as the two set some solid lap times in the first half of the session but slipped down to the bottom end of the table by the end of the session.
Wood’s record-breaking lap not only highlights his individual talent but also underscores Walkinshaw Andretti United’s competitive edge as the team prepares for the upcoming races at Taupō.
Fans and competitors alike will be keenly watching to see if this momentum carries over into the three upcoming races this weekend: the double-header tomorrow with two 120-km races and Sunday’s longer 200-km final race.
“Yeah, I think it’s hard in year 2; the rookie label gets left behind, and the pressure increases. I just have to put my best lap forward,” said Wood during the post-practice press conference when asked how he is finding his second Supercars season.
Wood was also asked about Ruapuna and the possibility of running a second New Zealand Supercars round, his thoughts on that, and where he would prefer to race.
“Hampton Downs, here in Taupō, Highlands…..”Wood said. He then joked about his wish to hold four rounds while in New Zealand.
| Position | Driver | Team | Gap |
| 1 | Ryan Wood | Walkinshaw Andretti United | 1:25.9778s |
| 2 | Brodie Kostecki | Dick Johnson Racing | +0.0435 |
| 3 | Thomas Randle | Tickford Racing | +0.0838 |
| 4 | Andre Heimgartner | Brad Jones Racing | +0.0937 |
| 5 | Anton De Pasquale | Team 18 | +0.2209 |
| 6 | Chaz Mostert | Walkinshaw Andretti United | +0.2805 |
| 7 | Cameron Hill | Matt Stone Racing | +0.3256 |
| 8 | Bryce Fullwood | Brad Jones Racing | +0.3760 |
| 9 | Will Brown | Triple Eight Race Engineering | +0.4395 |
| 10 | Cam Waters | Tickford Racing | +0.5020 |
| 11 | Broc Feeney | Triple Eight Race Engineering | +0.5040 |
| 12 | Jack Le Broq | Erebus Motorsport | +0.5203 |
| 13 | David Reynolds | Team 18 | +0.5244 |
| 14 | Kai Allen | Grove Racing | +0.5504 |
| 15 | Will Davison | Dick Johnson Racing | +0.5729 |
| 16 | James Golding | PremiAir Nulon Racing | +0.7041 |
| 17 | Richie Stanaway | PremiAir Nulon Racing | +0.7080 |
| 18 | Matt Payne | Grove Racing | +0.7584 |
| 19 | Cooper Murray | Erebus Motorsport | +0.7710 |
| 20 | Macauley Jones | Brad Jones Racing | +0.9438 |
| 21 | Jaxon Evans | Brad Jones Racing | +0.9518 |
| 22 | James Courtney | Blanchard Racing Team | +1.0639 |
| 23 | Nick Percat | Mat Stone Racing | +1.2239 |
| 24 | Aaron Cameron | Blanchard Racing Team | +2.0953 |
Header Image: Jessica Barnes / Blissful Photography
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