Supercars referee Craig Baird apologises for Ryan Wood ‘grub’ comment

Racing driver in the garage, holding up his index finger

Ryan Wood’s crash with Broc Feeney in the Supercars final last year helped his teammate win the championship. (Getty Images: Daniel Kalisz)

The Supercars referee has offered an apology to a driver after describing him as “a bit of a grub” because of his actions at the conclusion of last year’s championship.

Craig Baird, the Supercars driving standards advisor (DSA) who is in charge of refereeing on-track incidents, has been reprimanded by Motorsport Australia for comments he made in the media about Walkinshaw TWG Racing’s Ryan Wood, who had a major influence in deciding last year’s drivers’ championship.

Wood’s teammate Chaz Mostert and Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Broc Feeney went into the Adelaide 500 grand final as the two genuine championship contenders.

Feeney had won 14 races and achieved a record 19 pole positions that year but the maiden year of the finals series allowed Mostert, who had just one win before the finals, to have a chance of claiming the title.

Wood tagged the back of Feeney on the opening lap of the finale and spun him around, all but ending his title challenge.

Feeney finished a distant 20th, Wood was handed a 15-second penalty, and Mostert claimed the Supercars crown.

In an interview with Code Sports that was published last week, Baird said he had predicted Wood would make an audacious overtake attempt on Feeney to help his teammate win the Supercars crown.

“I think everyone knew, including Woody, that he had been a bit of a grub,” Baird told Code Sports.

“I actually said to the stewards prior to the race, if I was Woody, I am going to throw it up the inside of Broc Feeney no matter what happens, it will be going up the inside at [turn] four or six and it will be on lap one.

“I said it to Leigh Diffey, who was in my office prior to that race. I said it to Michael Masi, I was very vocal about it. I said, ‘I already know the outcome, I know what is happening’.

“You know when you’ve been a grub, I know when you’ve been a grub … he knew he had been a grub. He will never admit it, but he was happy, he was happy with his penalty.

“They can say whatever they want because the only consequence has made no difference to Woody’s championship, why wouldn’t they do it? And it will happen again.”

Motorsport Australia today released a statement formally apologising to Wood and Walkinshaw TWG Racing.

The governing body also said Baird would be reprimanded for breaching the standards of Motorsport Australia.

Baird, who has been the Supercars DSA for several years, also offered a formal apology to Wood and his team.

“I would like to formally apologise and retract my comments regarding Ryan Wood and the Walkinshaw TWG Racing Team,” Baird said.

“It’s clear that these comments were unacceptable and outside the boundaries of my role.

“I have met with Motorsport Australia to ensure I have a clear understanding moving forward regarding public commentary of this nature and understand that this is not acceptable from the Driving Standards Advisor.”