Supercars: Wellington’s Ryan Wood the big mover at weather-affected Taupō Super440
Sunday, 12 April 2026
Canterbury motorsport fans won’t just get their first live taste of Supercars this weekend, but an extra race thrown in.
The threat of Cyclone Vaianu caused Sunday’s racing at the Taupō Super440 to be cancelled with only the first two races on Saturday possible.
Kiwi petrolheads, who are savouring a Supercars New Zealand doubleheader for the first time in history, won’t be short-changed.
Rather than two days of racing, which counts for points, at Christchurch’s Ruapuna Motorsport Park, there will be an extra treat on Friday.
Sunday’s postponed 120km race in Taupō has been rescheduled for Friday in Christchurch, meaning there will be four races over the weekend at Ruapuna.
“This is an unprecedented situation that has never occurred in the history of the Supercars Championship,' Barclay Nettlefold, chair and interim CEO of Supercars, said.
“We deeply regret the impact this cancellation has on our fans who have travelled to Taupō to be part of this event. But a cyclone of this intensity leaves no other option, and the safety of everyone at the circuit has to come first.”
Wellington-raised Ryan Wood was the big mover in Saturday’s racing in Taupō, claiming just his second Supercars win and first on New Zealand soil in the feature 200km race. It was also the first for his Toyota Supra team in the category.
The 22-year-old’s victory lifted him into fifth in the drivers’ championship standings on 523 points, 134 behind leader Brodie Kostecki, who won Saturday’s opening race. Wood produced a big finish to secure third in the earlier race, giving him the lead for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, awarded to the driver with the most points across the New Zealand doubleheader.
Fellow Kiwi Matt Payne recorded two fifth place finishes in Taupō to sit third overall in the championship standings, 88 back from Kostecki.
After taking charge of the feature race, Payne faced a nervous moment with 17 laps remaining when he came out of his second mandatory pit stop behind Walkinshaw TWG Racing team-mate Chaz Mostert.
Wood was furious with the pit stop strategy mistake, which opened the door for Mostert to take the lead, dishing out a fiery radio response to his team.
He eventually cooled down to focus on the final stretch of the race, catching Mostert in the closing laps and retaking the lead.
“I feel like a bit of an idiot now. I just felt like we’d worked so hard to keep track position and then when you see your team-mate (in front of you) and I was like ‘Oh no’,” Wood said.
“Sorry to my crew and everyone in my team for listening to my whinging there.”
A jubilant Wood could barely wipe the smirk off his face after his momentous race win, celebrating with a shoey, drinking champagne out of his race boot.
His parents nervously willed him on close to the finish line as he overcame what could have been a costly moment to take the spoils.
“I’m so incredibly proud of our team and what we’ve done with this beautiful car. To win in our third round is pretty special…
“My dad was probably bawling his eyes out [when I won], my mum is a little bit tougher. To be honest the last two laps were pretty emotional. I’d just like to thank everyone who’s made this happen.”