Wood Joins Five-car Sonic Assault

Sonic Motor Racing Services is armed with a five-car line-up for the Adelaide 500 to open the Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia season.

After a comprehensive two-day test session at Winton Motor Raceway this week with its five brand new 911 GT3 Cup cars, team Principal Michael Ritter is buoyant about one of the team’s busiest years.

“We’ve got a really exciting line-up in 2018,” Ritter explains. “It’s a great blend of youth, experience, aggression and consistency. I think we’re going to have a fantastic year.”

The Carrera Cup arsenal boasts a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds.

Victorian Dale Wood joins Carrera Cup for the first time after a four-year Supercars stint and a 2013 Super2 crown, venturing on the left side of the cockpit for the first time in his career.

“I really like the way that Carrera Cup do so many things,” says Wood. “I think I’ve reached a point in my life where I just want to enjoy my racing and I see this direction as the best way to do that. I can’t wait to get after it in these cars. I’ve never heard anyone get out of a Cup car and say ‘well that was disappointing.’ The more I think about it the more I’m looking forward to it.”

Wood has a personal connection to Sonic where his brother Glenn raced Formula Ford for the team back in the day.

“I think anyone who knows Michael and Maria Ritter knows that they do it right, and they do it 120 per cent. And Mick never beats around the bush, you always know where you stand.”

Wood will be joined by South Australian Michael Almond who is vastly experienced in many forms of circuit racing including Carrera Cup, GT3 Cup Challenge, Touring Car Masters and V8 Utes.

Almond recorded an historic Carrera Cup victory at his home round in Adelaide in 2016 and is determined to repeat that result next month.

West Australians Pete Major and Jordan Love will also saddle up with Sonic.

Love won the 2017 Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia title and then promptly climbed aboard a three-round schedule in Carrera Cup with Sonic to get him ready for a full on assault in 2018.

Major has raced a variety of classes over the years including Formula Ford, Bathurst 12 Hour and GT3 Cup Challenge competition but looks to step up in his best year yet driving as part of Sonic’s Carrera Cup line-up.

Victorian Graham Williams began his motor racing career in Motocross but later in life progressed through a variety of state level circuit racing categories and conquests before Carrera Cup in 2017.

Williams admits: “2017 was a steep but exciting learning curve. In the lead up to 2018 I have ‘doubled down’ on the commitment to succeed and look forward to working with the team at Sonic to get the results on track.â€