Ryan Wood has firmed as Nick Percat’s likely replacement at Walkinshaw Andretti United despite the emergence of Fabian Coulthard as a candidate for the #2 Mustang Supercar seat in 2024.
Coulthard, who is co-driving with Percat in this year’s Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000, entered the frame for a return to full-time Supercars competition in recent weeks, during which time it was he who cut laps as part of Wood’s Evaluation Day at Winton.
Ordinarily, that would either be a breach of Supercars regulations, or would have to be reclassified as a standard ‘VCS Test Day’, but was given dispensation by the category’s Head of Motorsport, Adrian Burgess.
WAU’s stated reason at the time was because both Coulthard and Wood are left-foot brakers, although the activity would have given a handy reference for the squad if indeed it was mulling over which of the two to put in the #2 Mustang next year.
Speedcafe understands it is now the younger of those two New Zealanders who is again the firm favourite to score the ride, and may in fact have already signed the deal.
That would square with chatter within the Supercars paddock that the Clayton-based operation had first right of refusal on Wood, whom it fields in the Dunlop Super2 Series, but that a deadline at which time he would become a free agent was impending.
The 19-year-old had been linked to Team 18 and while he was hardly alone in that regard, it seems that there is/was a risk of WAU having him snatched from under their nose if a deal was not done promptly.
However, not only is he a talented prospect, the Kiwi also brings Mobil 1 New Zealand backing.
David Reynolds has now emerged as a leading candidate for the #20 Team 18 Camaro which is currently piloted by Scott Pye, although team owner Charlie Schwerkolt insists no deal has yet been done with any driver.
On the other side of that garage, Hidden Valley race winner Mark Winterbottom is in the first year of a multi-year deal with the squad to drive the #18 Camaro.
Back at WAU, Chaz Mostert will continue in the #25 Mobil 1 Optus Racing entry, having delivered the squad its first Bathurst 1000 win in a decade in 2021 before finishing runner-up, with Coulthard, in last year’s Great Race.
Mostert and Lee Holdsworth, the victorious 2021 duo, are reunited this year after the latter hung up the helmet from full-time Supercars competition at the end of 2022.
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