Ryan Wood has been eliminated from the Supercars Finals Series after a Gold Coast 500 finale, despite Walkinshaw TWG Racing using team orders to try to help him secure a place in the next round. Anton De Pasquale held on to the final Sandown spot by just 18 points.
Credit: Samuel Densley Photography
Wood’s hopes appeared alive in the closing stages of Sunday’s race. Teammate Chaz Mostert had been charging towards Broc Feeney and Brodie Kostecki, who were leading, but the team asked him to slow and fall in behind Wood. The move was intended to protect Wood’s points position and improve his chances of advancing.
Mostert’s engineer, Sam Scaffidi, told him to back off and create a gap. Mostert questioned the instruction before complying, while Wood faced pressure from Andre Heimgartner and Erebus rookie Jarrod Hughes. The 2 Toyota Supra could not drop far enough back to keep Mostert behind, and the pair continued to battle as the finish approached.
Credit: Samuel Densley Photography
On the final lap, Mostert passed Wood and claimed third place. Feeney went on to win the race, with Kostecki second, while Wood finished fourth and Mostert third. Wood later apologised to his team over the radio, saying he was proud of their effort but sorry he could not get the result needed.
The decisive points swing came through late pit stops by Chevrolet drivers Hughes and Cooper Murray. Their stops helped De Pasquale stay ahead of Wood in the standings, despite the Team 18 driver enduring a difficult race. De Pasquale started 21st and suffered a puncture after a first-lap clash, eventually finishing 14th.
Erebus said a fuel calculation error forced Hughes to pit, costing him the chance of a top-five result on his Supercars debut. Murray also stopped in the closing laps, dropping out of seventh place. Those decisions changed the Finals cut-off and left De Pasquale with the final qualifying position.
The seven drivers advancing to the Semi Final at Sandown are Matt Payne, Feeney, Kostecki, Mostert, Will Brown, Cameron Waters and De Pasquale. Wood finished eighth in the standings, 18 points below the cut. Kai Allen and Jack Le Brocq were also eliminated.
The outcome left Walkinshaw’s late team-order call unable to save Wood’s campaign, while De Pasquale’s recovery from the early puncture proved enough to keep his title hopes alive. The Sandown round will now decide which six drivers progress to the Grand Final.