'Ecstatic' Reynolds relieved with Newcastle podium

An “ecstatic” David Reynolds was relieved to finish on the Thrifty Newcastle 500 podium on Sunday after a taxing Saturday.

Reynolds finished behind winner Shane van Gisbergen and Chaz Mostert to make it two Fords on the Race 2 podium.

The Penrite Racing driver cut a tired figure after finishing 10th in Saturday’s race, which was held in hot conditions.

Come Sunday, and armed with ducting tweaks and cooler conditions, Reynolds was a force over one lap.

The 2017 Bathurst winner scored provisional pole and topped the ARMOR ALL Top Ten Shootout.

While he couldn’t match the leaders in the race, Reynolds was delighted to bring home a trophy to Braeside.

“I’m ecstatic with our result today,” Reynolds said after the race.

“I don’t think I had the pace of these two blokes beside me [van Gisbergen and Mostert].

“I was shitting myself before the race, because I knew how bad it was from yesterday.

“All I was trying to do was survive, and I found it much easier… it was an easier day for me.”

Reynolds heads to the next round, the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint, 69 points behind leader Mostert.

It was tougher for rookie teammate Matt Payne, who after a rough lead-in to the race, managed to finish 14th.

Reynolds’ comments come after he revealed he had purchased a personal sauna to prepare for cabin temperatures.

However, teammate Payne suffered a far worse fate, but powered on and finished strongly for the second day running.

“Being a skinny bloke, fast metabolism, it affects me more than a bigger person,” Reynolds said.

“The heat upsets me a lot. I’ve got to deal with it.

“You’ve got to save a thought for Matt Payne — on the warm-up lap, he spewed in his helmet.

“Thank god there was a red flag, he had to go in for a new suit and a new helmet.

"There were chunks of chicken and rice everywhere apparently in his car. Poor fella."

Mostert leads Brodie Kostecki, Cam Waters and Reynolds in the standings, the four covered by 69 points.

Sunday winner van Gisbergen is 11th overall, 126 points behind Mostert, having been disqualified from Saturday's race.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint on March 30-April 2.