Reynolds races co-drivers

David Reynolds was the only Championship driver to start the Sandown 500, his Bottle-O team looking for track position after starting eighth.

After pitting twice, his co-driver Dean Canto is up in fifth, on lap 51 of 161 around the Victorian circuit, and Reynolds seemed reasonably relaxed watching from the garage.

He commended the quality of racing from the second in command co-drivers, and had a push and shove battle with former full-time driver Alex Premat in the opening stages.

"It's tough out there racing cars and even though those blokes haven't been racing all year, they still race like full-time professionals. It's tough. It's good fun though," Reynolds told v8supercars.com.au.

"It took me a bit -not a great tyre set, so we tried to get the first tyre stint out the way. The idea was to get a bit of track position, put Deano in a better spot and we sort of achieved our goal."

He said the lap 44 safety car, called for repairs needed to the circuit, really helped the #55, with no dramas stacking or getting in and out of the traffic-filled pit lane.

"We're at the good end of pit lane -further down the bad end you'll have some dramas."

Sitting pretty in fifth, they are currently six and a half seconds away from leader Paul Dumbrell, and behind Cam Waters, in the JELD-WEN Falcon.

Reynolds will get out there amongst his usual competitors to take it home.

"Yeah definitely, I'll get in, run my 50 laps, see how I go!"

Click here for live timing and follow the remainder of the Wilson Security Sandown 500.