New Zealand’s Ryan Wood has claimed his maiden Supercars race victory in a gripping contest at the Bosch Power Tools Perth Super 440, edging out reigning champion Will Brown by just 0.6129 seconds in a nail-biting finish.
The Walkinshaw Andretti United (WAU) rookie showcased impressive composure and tyre management to become the seventh different race winner from the first 13 races of the 2025 Supercars season. Wood’s breakthrough triumph came after a hard-fought duel with his teammate Chaz Mostert and persistent pressure from championship leader Broc Feeney and a fast-closing Brown.
Ryan Wood made his move for the lead early in the race, passing Mostert on lap 11 with a bold inside move into Turn 7, sealing it through Turn 1. While Mostert didn’t allow his young teammate to escape easily, Feeney soon joined the fray, closing the gap and momentarily bringing the top three within a second.
As strategies unfolded, Feeney’s team attempted an undercut, forcing Wood to defend his position after a slightly delayed stop. He managed to hold off the attack, even as Brown and Matt Payne opted for four-tyre stops to set up a late charge.
Mostert rejoined the track in fifth following a slow pit stop and began closing down the leaders with a series of fastest laps. He eventually cleared Brodie Kostecki and Feeney but ran out of laps to mount a serious challenge to Wood or Brown.
Brown eased past Feeney with 13 laps to go and began reeling in the leader. The margin dropped to under a second with six laps left and as close as 0.5 seconds with four to go. Wood, however, responded under pressure with a quicker lap on lap 47 to keep Brown at bay and held on to clinch his first career Supercars win.
An emotional Wood credited his family, team and partners in the post-race interview:
“It’s pretty emotional to be honest, my parents have sacrificed a lot for me to get here. To achieve my life-long dream, it doesn’t feel real. So, so stoked for our whole team, and just kudos to all our partners, the engineering group for coaching me through that race, and I just can’t believe it.”
Mostert finished third, also collecting fastest lap bonus points, while Feeney’s fourth-place finish meant his championship lead was trimmed to 21 points by Brown. The top ten was completed by Kostecki, Payne, Cam Waters, Bryce Fullwood, Cameron Hill and Thomas Randle.
The victory not only marked a personal milestone for Ryan Wood but also added a new name to the list of New Zealanders who have made their mark in the Supercars championship
