Reynolds: van Gisbergen 'always beatable'

David Reynolds maintains points leader Shane van Gisbergen is “always beatable” amid Penrite Racing’s continued rise.

Van Gisbergen takes a 281-point series lead to this weekend’s Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing driver has won nine of 15 races in 2022.

He has won at least one race at all five events, and is nearly a round clear.

Reynolds and Penrite Racing have formed challengers of late, with Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters also showing speed.

Waters added dual Winton wins, twice defeating van Gisbergen, to a Perth podium.

Reynolds cited the experienced Triple Eight-van Gisbergen partnership as pivotal to the Kiwi’s success.

It's a stark contrast to Reynolds' squad under sole Grove ownership, which is just five rounds old.

“He’s always beatable,” Reynolds said of van Gisbergen on The Penrite Preview.

“The problem is he knows that car so well, that team knows that car that well.

“They know their tools they’ve got at their fingertips for each racing condition.

“We’re still learning ours… we’re in round five. Since 2013, they haven’t changed a lot of stuff.

“We’re ascending quickly, but hopefully we can catch them soon.

“There’s plenty we can do with our car.”

Van Gisbergen won both Sunday races at Hidden Valley last June, and will arrive a favourite to add to his wins tally.

Reynolds won races in Darwin in 2015 and 2018, and has scored six podiums so far this season.

Teammate Lee Holdsworth noted Waters and Tickford proved at Winton that a perfect combination can stifle the series leader.

“Obviously Cam drove a great couple of races up there,” Holdsworth said.

“He held off Shane, who had similar speed to Cam.

“I don’t think he had more than him… [Waters] just did a better job."

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