Ryan Wood won in nearly every tin-top series he took on. Now, he’s one of the most exciting rookies in the Supercars Championship.

The Wellingtonian started racing karts when he was age 9, winning from the get-go. Wood would jump straight from karts into the ultra-competitive Toyota 86 Series in 2021, winning 6 races and taking 10 podiums over two years.

This performance earnt the 19-year-old the Team Porsche New Zealand scholarship and a seat with Earl Bamber Motorsport in the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia.

This would be Wood’s real breakout, winning four out of the six rounds and taking a clean sweep of pole positions over the six events. He’d come second by a narrow margin in a tightly fought championship battle with rival Thomas Sargent.

The result guaranteed graduation to Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, but Wood made the decision to jump on to the Supercars ladder instead, contesting the Super2 championship for 2023.

He’d claim four pole positions and five wins in 2023, finishing the year off third in the championship. This was enough for Walkinshaw Andretti United to offer him a seat in their top-flight Supercars team for 2024, making Wood one of the most exciting new drivers on the grid.