When Monday to Friday is spent steering a growing business, you’d think Glen Wood might enjoy a relaxing weekend. But no-this guy trades his office chair for a race seat and his work boots for racing boots. As an ambassador for Famous Insurance, Glen is back on the grid in 2025 for his second full season in the Paynter Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, living life at full throttle-both on and off the track.
But let’s be honest-it hasn’t exactly been the fairy-tale start he was hoping for.
“It’s been tough,” Glen admits, half-laughing, half-grimacing. “I don’t know, maybe I ran over a black cat over summer or parked in karma’s spot, because the first two rounds have been brutal. We just couldn’t catch a break.”
He’s not even tracking his championship position.
“I couldn’t even tell you. Don’t want to know, mate,” he says, hands up in surrender. Spoken like a man who’s endured just enough motorsport mischief to keep the humor—but ditch the spreadsheets.
The season kicked off at Sydney Motorsport Park in February, and Glen and the team felt good—optimistic, even.
“Our pre-season testing went great. We felt like we made some real gains from 2024,” he explains. “In qualifying, we just missed nailing the new tyre. And with how close the field is… I mean, we were 9th, but the top 16 were covered by a second. It’s that tight.”
Tight, indeed. The weekend wrapped with finishes of 9th, 13th, and 10th. Solid—but not quite the dream start.
Round two? More of the same. Racing under the lights at the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne should’ve been a highlight—but for Glen, it was more of a head-scratcher.
“We were 11th in quali, and just three tenths would’ve put us up in P6 or P7. That’s how ridiculous this field is. And once qualifying sets your weekend up, it’s hard to climb out of the hole.”
Unfortunately, that hole got deeper. Contact in the first two races led to a P15 and a DNF.
“That was a tough one to take,” Glen says. “We fought back a little on Sunday, but another 15th place wasn’t exactly what we had in mind when we rolled in.”
While things on track have been challenging, off-track is where Glen’s energy truly shines.
“I’m a family guy,” he says. “My wife and daughter are my biggest supporters. I love spending time with them, enjoying good food and wine… and when the sun’s out, you’ll find me on the water with my brother and nephews.”
And when it’s time to reset? “I love spending time in the sauna and spa-it’s my way to unwind and recharge.”
Not content with just driving fast, Glen jokes about his day job:
“I sell hand soap and cable ties for a living.”
That would be as Managing Director of Wolfchester Australia-a business he’s been building with as much intensity as he brings to a race stint. And Glen’s not a behind-the-desk kind of guy either-he’s out on the road, visiting customers, shaking hands, solving problems.
So how does he manage business, racing, and being a dad-without cloning himself?
“I take the passion and focus from motorsport and inject it into my business. And I bring my family into the racing-it’s a whole lifestyle.”
And in case you’re wondering-no, Glen doesn’t roll around town in a Porsche.
“Even if I could, it wouldn’t make the best sales rep car,” he laughs. “My Amarok’s perfect. It does the job for work, hauls the family, and handles anything I throw at it.”
But if money were no object?
“A GT2 RS is a favourite. I’ve been lucky enough to drive one-and boy, it would look good in my garage.”
When it comes to motorsport heroes, Glen keeps it grounded.
“I never really had a hero, but I always admired Danny Ric. His ability to grind and smile-even on the tough days-that takes real resilience. And let’s be honest, how can you not admire that grin?”
Spending so much time on the road, you might wonder what’s playing on his Apple CarPlay.
“Honestly, I love a good chat, so I’m often on the phone. But when I’m not? My music choices would make you laugh. One minute it’s house and dance, the next it’s country. You might even catch me at the lights belting out Celine Dion. No shame.”
When asked what song would play during the final overtake in “Glen Wood: The Movie”, he doesn’t miss a beat:
“Easy-Chasin’ You by Morgan Wallen.”
As winter sets in across Melbourne, Glen’s already dreaming of warmer escapes.
“I love heading to Hamilton Island with the family,” he says. “But I’ve got my sights set on Italy-maybe after the season wraps up. It’d be the perfect way to reset. And let’s be honest… at this rate, I might need it!”
So how does he plan to bounce back from a tough start to the 2025 season?
“I’m passionate about data in any aspect of life,” he says. “You can only improve with real knowledge of where you’re weak.” Whether it’s poring over previous years’ race vision, deep-diving telemetry, or sharpening his senses on the Simworx simulator, Glen leaves no corner unchecked before race day.
Of course, racing is still the core of who he is. Glen’s driven a wide variety of GT cars-but how does the Porsche stack up?
“It’s definitely up there,” he says. “But one of the best moments of my life was driving an LMP3 car at Phillip Island in 2021. That thing was wild. You get into a GT car and think it’s serious… then you drive an LMP and it’s like, woah.”
Ask him what truly stands out in the motorsport world, and he doesn’t hesitate:
“The community is incredible. There’s this shared ‘dig deep’ attitude-especially on those nights when the team pulls an all-nighter just to get you back on the grid. That kind of dedication is rare.”
There was something in the Darwin air over the weekend-perhaps the heat, perhaps the hunger-but whatever it was, Glen had a fire in his belly and a spring in his step as he hit the track at Hidden Valley.
He came out swinging in Qualifying, laying down a strong lap that put him 7th on the grid-his best starting position of the season and just three-tenths off pole.
“Mate, it was so tight,” Glen said, reflecting on the session. “I made the smallest mistake and probably left a tenth somewhere over there,” he added, gesturing toward the final corner. “But it’s a good start.”
And it was more than just a good start-it set the tone for a breakout weekend. Across three intense races, Glen showed his grit and growth, finishing with a 7th and two 5th-place results. It marked his strongest showing yet in the Porsche Carrera Cup and the top performance among his Earl Bamber Motorsport teammates.
“I’ve been working really hard on my driving, really hard,” Glen said. “I think we made some really positive steps this weekend.”
Racing in Darwin, however, is no easy feat. The tight margins and punishing heat challenge even the most experienced drivers.
“The hard part is once you’re within a second, everything gets hot,” Glen explained. “In these Porsches, your brakes heat up, your tyres overheat, then the engine temps climb and it starts to pour fuel in… so you struggle to close that last half a second.”
Despite the brutal conditions, Glen’s performance stood out as a testament to persistence, preparation, and a little bit of long-awaited luck. As the season heads into its next chapter at Queensland Raceway, one thing’s clear: Glen’s not just chasing the pack anymore-he’s in the fight, and he’s just getting started.
