RYAN Wood. He is the boom-or-bust talent who many believe will be the next big thing, not least his Walkinshaw Andretti United team.
Don’t be deterred by the 20-year-old Kiwi rookie currently holding last in the championship; fast and uncompromising, he’s a genuine contender to qualify for a Top 10 Shootout berth this weekend on home soil.
“He has got serious talent,” WAU team principal Carl Faux told V8 Sleuth.
Faux makes no secret of the fact Wood is far from the finished product, unlike teammate Chaz Mostert.
But a mid-2023 evaluation day – the outing which got him over the line to be promoted into the #2 Gen3 Mustang – convinced Faux that the ceiling is high enough that any ups and downs in the short-term will be well worth it.
“Whatever ‘it’ is, he has got it,” Faux said.
“He’ll learn, he’ll blow the tyres off it occasionally, he’ll make mistakes, but he is going to be a champion of the future.”
Supercars practice at the ITM Taupō Super400 starts today from 10:55am AEST (12:55pm local).
