Wood Runs Up Front with Stage Win at Atlanta
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway
FINISH: 21st
Start: 5th
Stage 1: 1st
Stage 2: 6th
Laps Led: 4
NCTS Point Standings Position: 10th
Jack Wood, driver of the No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST started the race weekend off strong at Atlanta Motor Speedway with a hot lap in Friday afternoon’s qualifying event that set him fifth in line to start the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at the1.54-mile quad-oval. Wood quickly emerged to the runner-up spot behind teammate, Connor Mosack, as the other two McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) teammates lined up behind and went single file. The four road for the majority of the Stage One together until the top lane started to form. Wood made a staggering move to the bottom and cruised by to steal the stage win, gaining a very valuable pack of stage points.
The young driver reported to crew chief Kevin Bellicourt that he was a bit tight on that run and needed some adjustments under the stage break. Wood came down pit road for a slight trackbar adjustment and a top off on fuel. Restarting Stage Two in sixth, the Loomis, Calif. native fell back on the green-flag shuffle and held onto the eighth position. By lap 50, Wood had made his way back to the top five and at a scramble for the green-white-checker, he settled for a sixth-place Stage Two finish. The driver of the No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet pulled down pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and some Sunoco race fuel to start the final stage.
Restarting the final laps in 11th, Wood started his charge back to the front when an unfortunate run-in with the Turn 1 wall on lap 69 saw the No. 91 with some damage. Luckily, a caution came out shortly after and the young driver was able to bring his race truck down pit road for his team to asses the damage. Wood was able to get back out on the track and keep up with the field to salvage a 21st-place finish at Atlanta.
Jack Wood Quote:
“This No. 91 Adaptive Calipers Chevrolet was so fast from the start. Kevin and the guys kept me in contention all day for a good finish and it is just super unfortunate that we did not get the result today to show for it. Everyone has worked so hard on this team and with these next couple weeks off we will head back to the shop, pick our heads up and see what we can do in Vegas to turn this bad luck around.”
