Reynolds: I'm the unluckiest bloke in pitlane

David Reynolds says he isn’t religious – but gets the feeling someone out there doesn’t like him.

“I reckon I’m the most unlucky man in V8 Supercars,” he told v8supercars.com.au. “Because every time I get a good race going, something happens. It doesn’t quite happen for me for some reason.”

Reynolds – who took his maiden race win at the Gold Coast last year – has had an inconsistent start to 2014, with fourth at Winton his best finish and enough to shoot him to eighth in the Championship.   

The #55 driver felt he’d be able to better that number in Sunday’s race at the ITM 500 Auckland, before disaster struck with a left rear tyre puncture. On a longer strategy, Reynolds was leading at the time, and had to limp his Falcon all the way to pit entry, losing plenty of time in the process.

“We were running so well, thought we had third in the bag easy… it happened at probably the fastest corner of the track and I shit myself and nearly wrote the car off, so was lucky to get out with minimal damage.

“It sucks – but that’s racing, it’s character building,” he said, rolling his eyes.

Given the team had dramas with tyres at Pukekohe last year and stablemate Jack Perkins on Saturday this time around, Reynolds sighed he should not have been surprised, but lamented it happening in that particular race – the 200km feature was worth 150 points for the win, while the other three were 50 each.

“The left rear… is the used side of the car, so it’s not surprising.

“I had enough pace, my car was working well, we tuned it up all weekend, had a good start, let Mark (Winterbottom) through because he was fast and was running my own race… I’d been driving the same all weekend and we just had a drama in that final race.

“The worst part is we were either going to pit the lap that it failed, or I was definitely coming in the next lap. A huge disappointment for our team.”

Reynolds pounced off the starting line to shoot from sixth to third, and was at the front of the pack before having to pit on lap 21.

“I always get good starts – I should’ve been a drag racer,” he quipped.

It’s almost ironic that off the back of the ITM 500 Auckland the V8 Supercars head to Perth, where Reynolds suffered a tyre drama preventing him from earning his first podium in the category years ago, when driving a Walkinshaw Racing Bundaberg Red Commodore VE.

“It happened to me there too – 2009, my first podium. Three, four laps to go the tyre failed. 

"Someone doesn’t like me – I’m not really religious, but someone doesn’t like me.”

Reynolds seemed unsure how to respond when asked whether he thinks about that 2009 disappointment when Perth is the next stop on the calendar. 

“Nah, not at all.

“Oh, you always think about, I could’ve had a podium here – you have tracks you like and tracks you go well at and there’s a bit of synergy there I suppose – but no.

"I haven’t had a good result (there) since that day. It was disappointing, of course you think about it, but when you are there you actually don’t really. You think about the next session, qualifying, practice, race and do your own job.”

Reynolds was expected to flourish after knocking over that first win milestone late last year, but coming back from the off-season found himself and The Bottle-O Falcon further down the grid than predicted. Reynolds told v8supercars.com.au at the Rolex Australian Grand Prix he had been having difficulties feeling the car and that it wasn't making sense – but he has adapted since then.

“I’m getting much more used to it," he said. 

“At the end of last year we ran out of tools to fix the car with. And over summer we didn’t go testing, we didn’t do a lot of stuff so we sort of rocked up at Adelaide with the same car as last year and obviously most people gained speed over the summer. We didn’t so we were, like, 20th, so sort of started at the back of the grid, so we’ve come a long way in four races.

“We’re right up the front of the grid now. We’ve still got a little bit to find.”

Can Reynolds pick up that podium he missed out on this time in Perth? Tickets are available for the 400km SuperSprint event now.