Reynolds believes wins within reach
“Look out for us to win a race.”
That’s David Reynolds’s ambition should Penrite Racing fix its missing link with race pace, with the veteran firing over one lap.
Reynolds arrives at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint with a pole and two podiums to his name in 2023.
It was in Tasmania last year where Reynolds kickstarted his 2022 campaign, which featured eight podiums.
The 2017 Bathurst winner scored his first podium in nearly a year last March, and added seven more.
He burst out of the blocks in 2023 with pole in Newcastle, and backed it up with a podium.
Reynolds scored another podium in Perth, but victory has remained elusive for the 413-race veteran.
131 races have passed since Reynolds last won a Supercars race, with Erebus Motorsport in Newcastle in 2018.
However, should Penrite Racing find the final piece of the puzzle with race pace, Reynolds feels wins are a possibility.
It comes despite Triple Eight and Erebus Chevrolets crossing the line first in all nine races so far this season.
"Last year was really cool, we got our first podium as a team so that led us on in a strong run for the rest of the year,” Reynolds said.
"I love racing in Tasmania because [the races are] over so quick – 52-second laps. It’s got a huge back straight; we’re doing 280km/h, so it’s quite fast.
"It’s a very intense style of racing – the races are over in like 35 minutes, so it happens really quick.
"I’m looking forward to it because anytime you get to drive these cars it’s a pleasure.
“Our performance in qualifying has been quite strong. We are just missing a little bit in the races.
“We are working on a solution for that, so look out for us to win a race possibly.”
Reynolds has never won a race at Symmons Plains, nor has he scored a pole position.
Just four active drivers – Shane van Gisbergen, Mark Winterbottom, Will Davison and Chaz Mostert – have won at the Launceston venue.
Reynolds was fast in Perth, which was 2.4km in length with seven corners, just like Perth.
However, the seven-time Supercars race winner knows a different challenge lays ahead, but is excited for the challenge.
"There are only three corners [at Symmons Plains], but every corner is different to every other corner,” he said.
"It's got the slowest corner at the hairpin, and the line you take in qualifying isn't the line you take in the race otherwise people are going to crash into you and pass you.
"Turn 1’s quite tricky, because it’s over the bump and there’s a big crest but all in all it’s a fun place to be.”
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint this weekend.
Supercars will hit the track for the first time on Saturday for Practice 1 at 9:00am local time.
Tickets for the event are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
