Wellington Supercar driver Ryan Wood won race nine of the series at the ITM Taupō Super 440 on Saturday, his second career win and first in New Zealand.
Along with a win at home for Wood, it was an historic first Supercars win for Toyota, which debuted the GR Supra in the championship just two months ago.
In just its ninth race, Toyota becomes the quickest new manufacturer to win in the Supercars era.
After starting on pole, Wood, 22, led until the final pit stop sequence, when team-mate Chaz Mostert emerged in the lead for the sprint to the flag.
Wood then passed Mostert with eight laps to go and held off Mostert and a charging Broc Feeney to score a hugely popular win.
Feeney and Mostert rounded out the podium, with 2024 champion Will Brown and Auckland’s Matt Payne completing the top five.
For the first time, the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy is being contested across two rounds: Taupō and Christchurch.
Wood will carry a 17-point trophy lead over Feeney to the inaugural Christchurch round this weekend, with Brown 13 points behind his team-mate.
After winning the opening Taupo race, Brodie Kostecki could muster only sixth in the 200km finale, and has dropped to fourth in the trophy standings, 41 points off Wood, but remains in the championship lead with 657 points. Chasing him are Feeney (638) and Payne (569).
On Saturday, Supercars organisers cancelled yesterday’s programme, deeming it presented an ‘‘unacceptable risk’’ because of Cyclone Vaianu.
The 120km Supercars race will instead be held this Friday.
— RNZ/Allied Media
