Kelly input key to Reynolds rebuild

Penrite Racing has enlisted familiar Kelly help in its efforts to the repair the #26 Mustang.

David Reynolds will race in the same car that was damaged in the lap 5 incident in Bathurst.

Reynolds’s co-driver Matt Campbell was behind the wheel when the #26 slammed into Zane Goddard.

Both cars, along with the #8 Brad Jones Racing Commodore, sustained major damage.

James Courtney has been forced into a spare chassis for the Gold Coast.

Reynolds and Andre Heimgartner, however, will race their Bathurst cars despite the quick turnaround.

Kelly Racing facilities have proved critical in fast-tracking the #26 repair work.

Grove Racing still has a close relationship with former owner and driver Todd Kelly.

The Kelly family sold its remaining stake in the Supercars team to the Groves late last year.

The damaged #26 chassis was placed on Kelly Racing’s jig, where it remained until Thursday.

It was then painted at the Kelly Racing paint shop on Friday.

The chassis required extensive fabrication work; notably, the front and rear rails sustained major damage.

The likes of quarter panels, exhaust system, front splitter, bonnet and radiator were also damaged and replaced.

"We've still got a close relationship with Todd, who's allowing us to use his facilities to repair the car," #26 race engineer Alistair McVean said in a team Instagram video.

"The main one was the rear end, both sides of the chassis rail were torn off and bent.

"At the front end of the car, we're replacing the front chassis rail which holds the suspension in position.

The #8 BJR Commodore sustained damage on both sides; Dale Wood clipped the Goddard car on driver’s right.

Wood was then sent into the concrete on the left, before spinning to a halt underneath the access bridge.

It marks the second major rebuild of that particular chassis following the start-line Tailem Bend crash.

It ensures Heimgartner will race in the same car that helped him revive his career in 2017.

Heimgartner combined with Tim Slade to finish third on the Gold Coast five years ago.

That result caught the attention of Kelly himself, who signed Heimgartner to his team for 2018.