Mixed emotions for rookie Wood
Kiwi rookie Ryan Wood might have impressed to finish a wet and wild Taupo with a PB fourth, but he believes a podium was possible.
Despite many struggling in the first wet race of the Gen3 era at Taupo, the youngest driver on the Supercars grid rose to the occasion.
WAU’s Wood ran up the front for the majority of the soaked 60-lap encounter and secured a career-best fourth.
Despite the impressive performance, the 20-year-old wishes he was standing on the podium with a trophy in his hands.
Wood felt a top three went begging after a late-race mistake when battling for an effective second with Will Davison around the same time Chaz Mostert lost his wheel.
Anton De Pasquale managed to slip by which ensured both DJR drivers stood on the rostrum, while Wood was a further 2s adrift at the chequered.
“It was a great race and I am pretty happy with P4,” Wood told Fox Sports.
“It is cool to be gutted with a fourth because it would have been awesome to get a trophy in my first home race.
“With around 20 to go I was following Will and ran third. He ran slightly off and then I went off as well.
“Pretty gutted, one mistake across the whole race is pretty frustrating.
“(But) there are plenty of positives to come out of today.”
In addition to racing a Supercar for the first time in the wet, Wood also had to complete his first pit stop in a very slippery lane and admitted he may have lost some time in the pits.
“I was pretty scared because it was wet as well,” he said.
“Was worried I would be locking fronts and taking out the crew, so I took it pretty easy and probably lost a bit of time.
“I was a bit cautious in the in and out laps but can’t really complain.”
Wood’s special fourth place gave the WAU garage some much-needed joy after Chaz Mostert’s charge for victory ended when the right rear wheel came off.
“Bit of a kick in the guts that one, we had a really good car today but it didn’t fall our way,” Mostert said.
“We’ll be back tomorrow, congrats to Woody and the car 2 crew, was some to see them up there fighting.”
Image: Supplied/Race Project
Taupo Super400 schedule (all times AEST)
Friday, April 19
Practice: 1: C. Mostert 1:26.4937 2: M. Payne +0.0318 3: W. Davison +0.0508
Saturday, April 20
Qualifying Race 7: 1: M. Payne 1:27.9684 2: A. De Pasquale +0.0940 3: C. Mostert +0.1669
Top 10 Shootout: 1: C. Waters 1:34.7415 2: W. Brown +0.5011 3: A. Heimgartner +0.5374
Race 7 (60 laps): 1: A. Heimgartner 2: W. Davison +1.1012 3: A. De Pasquale +2.5641
Sunday, April 21
Qualifying Race 8: 08.45
Top 10 Shootout: 10.25
Race 7 (60 laps): 13.05
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