CTFROT | 2026 | Round 2 | Taupo | Race 1 | Wood continues dominant weekend in Taupo with Race 1 win - Motorsport

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Ryan Wood delivered a calm and authoritative drive to win Race 1 of Round 2 of the 2026 Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy (CTFROT) at Taupo. The mtec Motorsport driver recovered from a brief loss of the lead at the start to reassert control and steadily pull clear. Behind him, Ugo Ugochukwu converted a lightning launch into a strong second place for M2 Competition, while Freddie Slater completed the podium after a race defined by constant position changes. Further back, Louis Sharp emerged from a prolonged intra-team battle to secure fourth, as midfield fights and recovery drives shaped a competitive opening contest.

Wood continues dominant 2026 CTFROT weekend in Taupo with start from pole for Race 1

Following Qualifying 1, Ryan Wood secured pole position for mtec Motorsport with a decisive late lap. M2 Competition’s Ugo Ugochukwu, who claimed the win in Race 3 and 4 at Hampton Downs, joined him on the front row after narrowly missing out on pole.

Zack Scoular lined up third in the second mtec Motorsport entry, while Freddie Slater started fourth for M2 Competition to complete the second row. Louis Sharp took fifth for mtec Motorsport, with Kanato Le starting sixth as the leading Hitech TGR driver.

James Wharton lined up seventh for HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed, alongside Hitech TGR’s Jin Nakamura in eighth. Yevan David started ninth for Kiwi Motorsport, with Ernesto Rivera completing the top ten for M2 Competition.

Yuanpu Cui started 11th in the fourth mtec Motorsport car, followed by Nolan Allaer in 12th for Giles Motorsport. Kalle Rovanperä lined up 13th for Hitech TGR, while Sebastian Manson started 14th for M2 Competition after serving a five-place grid penalty.

Jack Taylor took 15th for Giles Motorsport, ahead of Ricardo Baptista in 16th for HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed. Fionn McLaughlin lined up 17th for Hitech TGR, with Cooper Shipman 18th for Kiwi Motorsport. Trevor LaTourrette completed the grid in 19th for HMD Motorsport with TJ Speed.

Wood settles into comfortable lead after exciting start

After an uneventful formation lap, Ugochukwu surged into the lead as the lights went out. Slater also made a strong start, passing Scoular for third, while Kanato Le moved ahead of Sharp into fifth. Ernesto Rivera gained a place to move into ninth.

However, Wood responded immediately and reclaimed the lead after Ugochukwu locked up under braking. Scoular also recovered third from Slater. By Lap 3, Wood, Ugochukwu and Scoular had begun to pull clear, with Wood opening a gap of more than 0.8 seconds. Sharp stayed close behind, intent on joining the podium fight.

Mid-Race developments and battles

Wood continued to extend his advantage, while Ugochukwu held second under pressure from Scoular. By Lap 6, Wood had built a 1.25-second lead. Slater ran fourth but received a track limits warning at Turn 9. Sharp briefly ran wide but recovered without losing position.

In the midfield, Kanato Le began his recovery, regaining ninth on Lap 5, while Yuanpu Cui passed Sebastian Manson to move into 12th. On Lap 9, Slater passed Scoular for third following a lock-up, while Cui overtook Nolan Allaer for 11th. Le then passed team-mate Jin Nakamura for eighth.

Scoular struggles as Sharp claims P4; top three hold firm

Scoular’s lock-up caused tyre damage and left him vulnerable late on. Sharp closed in after another mistake on Lap 14, cutting the gap to 0.3 seconds. Although Scoular defended using push-to-pass, Sharp completed the move in the final sector on Lap 17 to take fourth.

At the front, Wood remained unchallenged and crossed the line more than 2.5 seconds clear of Ugochukwu to claim victory. Slater completed the podium in third, while Sharp held fourth ahead of Scoular. Track limits ultimately played no decisive role in the result.