Team Wood Racing

Dunlop British Touring Car Championship ace Lea Wood has become one of the first people to get a ride in famed ‘extreme sports’ driver Ken Block’s latest ‘Gymkahna’ car…

Central Group Racing team driver Wood got the opportunity to ride in the Ford Fiesta – built to World Rally Car specification – during a secret test in Wales recently (see photo above – he is in there somewhere, honest)!

Wood, from Hereford, told btcc.net: “Our family business, Wheel Heaven, deals with the company here in the town who’ve built the Fiesta. They needed some kit and a truck so they used ours. I was the lorry driver and then spent four days overseeing all the wheels and tyres on the car. It is a proper WRC machine but obviously with quite a few trick bits.

“Ken was a top bloke, very pleasant, and knew that I raced in the BTCC so invited me to go for a spin. I think he thought he might show me why rally drivers are better than BTCC drivers! He certainly knows how to drive a car sideways, I’ll give him that! But that’s about it…

“I was in the car when the TV crew there decided to do a lot of the filming for the promo video of the car which is on You Tube.”

While the Fiesta is now in Los Angeles for this weekend’s ‘X Games’ event, in which Block will dazzle his adoring American fans, Wood is in final preparations for the resumption of his BTCC season at Snetterton, Norfolk (6-7 August).

He contested just the final two of the season’s opening five rounds but made an immediate impact at Oulton Park where he drove his older BTC-spec Honda Integra from 21st on the grid to seventh on a damp track surface. It was a giant-killing performance that netted him his first outright top ten result in the BTCC.

Wood added: “Joining the season so late means it’s been a bit start-stop for us because of the seven-week break but now it’s finally back down to business with Snetterton. We’ve just got a few final things to put on the car and we’re all raring to go.”

Source: BTCC.net

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‘Giant-killer’ Lea Wood says he wants a repeat of Oulton Park’s greasy conditions at Croft this weekend (18-19 June).

In his first race back since Brands Hatch’s final round last October, Wood drove his 2006 BTC-spec Honda Integra – the oldest car on the grid – from 21st on the grid to a seventh place result at Oulton.

It was the former super silhouette champion’s first ever outright points in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship and afterwards there were understandable scenes of elation in the Central Group Racing pit garage – as well as a few tears from Wood himself!

The result was a shock for the Integra is required to run with 50kgs more ballast this season as BTC-spec cars become obsolete, but in damp but drying conditions which called for drivers to gamble on tyre choice the Hereford racer seized his opportunity.

He only narrowly missed out on another top ten in race two, also held on a greasy track – he crossed the line in 11th overall just a second away from tenth and with a fastest lap better than four of those ahead of him.

Now Wood wants more of the same at Croft this coming weekend and he told btcc.net net: “I said before on your site if it rained anything could happen and it did!

“The Integra was the class of the field in its heyday and a good car is always going to be a good car. I guess the sweetest moment at Oulton was passing Matt Neal (pictured above) who won two titles in the Integra – for some reason his Civic was starting to struggle whereas the Integra was just awesome.

“There’s no way we’d expect results like that in bone dry conditions so I hope it’s a bit drizzly at Croft again this weekend. That always spices things up even more for the fans and I think everyone likes to see the underdog do well.

“It’s also a massive deal for a small team like ours. I said before we just hope to do the best job we can with what we’ve got and that as underdogs with a bit of an old favourite in the Integra we can build up a a following which might lead to more sponsors coming our way. Oulton was a great way to start…”

Source: BTCC Website

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Lea Wood says he’s far from fazed to be returning to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car in the oldest car on the grid.

The popular Hereford racer will make his first appearance of the 2011 season at Oulton Park’s round in just over a week’s time (4-5 June) in the 2006 BTC-spec Honda Integra with which he competed last year.

It will be the last car of the ‘BTC era' (2001-06) to appear in the BTCC and championship organiser TOCA has also ordered that it be fitted with an extra 50kgs of success ballast. But Wood believes the car, which won the BTCC title in 2005 and 2006 with Matt Neal and Team Dynamics, and his own Central Group Racing team can still put on a show for the crowds which could reap longer-term rewards.

The 26-year-old told btcc.net: “I’ve no pressure. OK, it’s an older car with the added weight and I’m not expecting miracles, but if we can stick with the pack and be competitive in our own way then I’ll be very satisfied. I just want us to come away knowing we got the best results possible from the car.

“We’re not underestimating how much the pace has hotted up this year but for us, as a very small team, this was the only feasible way to still be on the grid in 2011. We just want to turn out a good car and look the part – just so the fans know the car will have gold wheels all round! – push on, get a bit of a following going and try to build our sponsor base with the hope of moving into more modern machinery so we can stay in the BTCC.”

Wood, a former BRSCC super silhouette champion, got his first run this year in the Integra in mixed conditions yesterday at Donington Park (pictured), although he managed just ten laps before stopping when its engine lapsed on to three cylinders.

Despite the setback, he remained upbeat, adding: “That was the old engine and due to be replaced with a newer Neil Brown-tuned unit before Oulton anyway. It’s just a shame we didn’t get more running.

“But even in the wet and with the extra 50kgs the car immediately still felt its good old self. Matt Neal was also about and gave me a few tips and hints – stuff a small single-car team wouldn’t necessarily know which is very helpful. If it’s wet at Oulton then anything could happen.”

Source: BTCC Website

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Lea Wood has won HiQ’s latest Champagne Moment award as voted for by fans of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Wood’s inspired drive from 21st to seventh in his ageing 2006 BTC-spec Honda Integra at Oulton Park not only rewarded him with a maiden top ten BTCC result but also his first win in the popular online poll run by Teams Championship sponsor HiQ.

The Hereford racer received 28 per cent of the vote ahead of Andy Neate on 21 and Nick Foster on 19.

As with all HiQ Champagne Moments held after each BTCC round, one member of public taking part will be selected to attend a future fixture with a pair of tickets and to present the winning driver with their bottle of bubbly.

To vote in future, starting next Monday after Croft’s BTCC round, visit www.hiqonline.co.uk.

Source: BTCC Website

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