Reynolds' philosophical take on slump after timely rebound

A philosophical David Reynolds has opened up on what has proven a trying start to 2025, which took a turn for the better in Tasmania.

One of the surprises of 2025 so far has been the performance, or lack thereof, of Team 18 veteran Reynolds.

The 2017 Bathurst winner arrived in Tasmania amid a career-worst run of form, but after taking on some new parts, Reynolds ended his weekend with a strong run to sixth.

Reynolds hadn't troubled the top 10 in nine races heading to Symmons Plains, and the pain looked to remain when he raced from 22nd to 19th in the opener. Finally, a top 10 presented itself in the form of a ninth in Race 12, before he qualified 12th for Sunday's finale.

In a strong run, Reynolds jumped from 12th to eighth on the first lap, and ran in the podium positions amid a strategy gamble, before coming home sixth.

It was a timely turn of results for Reynolds, who is believed to be off-contract at the end of 2025. It comes as Team 18 prepares to take over General Motors homologation duties from Ford-bound Triple Eight.

When asked on Supercars' Cool Down Lap podcast if he was happy to hit the top 10, Reynolds said: “Well, as far as weekends go for the whole year, yeah, it’s the best one I've had.

“But as far as what I'd love, no. It's like the results are a lot better, but they're still not what feels achievable.”

It nearly came unstuck, Reynolds colliding with Thomas Randle at Turn 6 disputing fourth with 13 laps to go as they were bisected by the rapid Broc Feeney.

Regarding his tough start to 2025, when asked if it was more driver or car, Reynolds took a introspective path.

“It’s difficult, because you never really know if it's you or the car,” the 39-year-old said.

“So, you question everything and then, but at the end of the day, it's all to do with car performance.

“It’s like a horse race. We're racing horses out there that are to cars and we're the jockey. When you go to the horse races, you bet on the horse, don't you?

"[Triple Eight] are always one-two in the championship regardless of who drives their cars. So where the jockey is on the day, we just point it in the right direction and make it do its job.

“We move our cars like bugger all, but it makes a massive difference in the scheme of things. It literally all comes to do with balance. But the problem is when the balance ain't there for the last few rounds, you start to question yourself.

“Everything that's gone on, you just need to be on top of all your systems and processes. And it's just a really difficult sport and everything becomes so finely compacted because everything's identical in the cars, allegedly.

“Because I have to say allegedly, because I don't know other people have in their cars, but everyone's got the same chassis, same this, same that. It literally comes down to the numbers that you put in the car and the balance number that it puts out.”

Reynolds jumped from 21st to 17th in the points, and gained 38 points relative to 10th place in the chase for a Finals spot.