Ryan Wood and Steve Brooks will return to the GT World Challenge (GTWC) Australia powered by AWS in 2026 with a clear objective: fight at the front. This time, however, the Kiwi pairing enters the season with a fresh approach. They have switched to Wolfbrook Motorsport Team BRM and will pilot the #88 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II in their 2026 GTWC Australia campaign. The move follows a promising debut campaign with MPC, where consistency proved crucial despite a partial schedule.
Wood and Brooks aiming to build on a strong debut season in 2026 GTWC Australia with Wolfbrook Motorsport Team BRM
Although Wood and Brooks missed a round in 2025, they still secured fourth place in the Pro-Am standings. Notably, they delivered four runner-up finishes across five rounds and stood on the podium in nearly every event they entered.
As a result, their performances established them as serious contenders. Momentum carried them through the closing stages of the season, where they strung together three consecutive podium finishes.
Brooks’ steady rise through GT Racing
For Brooks, 2026 marks his third year in the category. He began his GT journey in 2021 in New Zealand endurance racing before quickly progressing.
He earned his first podium in the NZ 1 Hour Endurance Racing Championship and, soon after, secured a standout result in the NZ South Island Endurance Series. By 2024, he had claimed the series title and added a podium in the New Zealand GT Championship.
Furthermore, 2025 became his busiest season yet. He competed across multiple championships, while also debuting in the prestigious Bathurst 12 Hour alongside Mark Rosser, Alex Peroni and James Golding.
“It’s an absolutely fantastic series. It’s really stepped up a notch and I’m really looking forward to it. Obviously I’m from New Zealand, so from what we’re doing over there, to have Ryan Wood in the car, being the Supercars driver he is, he is helping me improve my driving and I’m really looking forward to sharing a few laughs this year with him, the rest of the team, and also other competitors.
“Phillip Island last year on the test day, I put it in the wall, then Ryan in Practice 1 also put it in the wall, so we got our crashes out of the way last year, so this year we’re going to stay focused. We hope to be at the pointy end of the field. We ended up fourth last year while missing a round, and this year we have committed to the whole season to get in there and hopefully take out the championship.
“It’s really exciting – new year, new team and working with Mark Rundle. He’s a great guy, so I’m looking forward to that and hopefully Alex Peroni is back on the field soon.”
Wood’s rapid climb to Supercars
Meanwhile, Wood has emerged as one of the most exciting young prospects in Australian motorsport. Since arriving from New Zealand in 2022, he has progressed rapidly through the ranks.
He dominated the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia with 14 podiums from 15 races, including six wins. He then stepped up to Super2 in 2023 with Walkinshaw Andretti United, where five victories powered him to third overall.
By 2024, Wood had reached the Supercars Championship, securing his first win and multiple podiums en route to a top-10 finish. Additionally, he impressed in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship, finishing fifth overall with two wins.
He also claimed a Pro-Am class podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour in a Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside international teammates.
Wood confident ahead of 2026 GTWC Australia campaign with Wolfbrook Motorsport Team BRM
Looking ahead to 2026, Wood believes improved preparation will make a difference.
“It’s a lot of fun and I can’t thank Steve enough for bringing me back onboard for the season,” Wood said. “I’m really excited. We’re probably a bit more prepared this year than we have been before, especially for myself. I’ve been doing a lot more driving than what I’ve done previously.
“We’re with a different team this year in BRM, so it will be a change for Steve and me. The Audi is great, but it’s very different to what I drive for my day job. It’s a lot of fun, I’ve done a lot of driving in it and I’m starting to get more confident.
“It’s all about trying to build up Steve and myself to make sure we take a step up from what we did last year. I’m excited to see Steve’s development; last year he really came on strong and was probably one of the fastest amateur drivers. My job now is to settle him down and focus him on driving.
“It’s going to be full-on and I’m gutted I can’t do the final round, but we’re going to have fun until then. Hopefully, I can put him in a position where it’s up to Steve and whoever he employs for the last round to try to get the job done.
“We’ve got a lot of racing and a lot of fast cars to beat before then.”
Season begins at Phillip Island
The duo will kick off their 2026 campaign at the LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Phillip Island on 27–29 March.
With a new team, increased preparation, and a full-season commitment, Wood and Brooks now aim to convert last year’s consistency into race wins—and potentially a championship-winning campaign.
