David Reynolds reveals emotions of Bathurst win, defeat
2017 winner set to make 20th consecutive appearances
Reynolds won 2017 race, lost 2018 after late cramping
David Reynolds has shed light on the trials and trauma of a wildly contrasting run of results at Bathurst, as he prepares for his 20th Great Race appearance.
Reynolds returns to Bathurst for a third crack at the Great Race with Team 18, and 20th consecutive appearance since his ill-fated debut in 2007.
A warm-up lap car failure in 2007 and practice accident in 2008 kept Reynolds away from race day until 2009. Eight years later, he scaled the Mountain, winning in 2017 with Erebus Motorsport.
While winning in 2017 was a dream come true, Reynolds was made to wait for it, especially after falling just 0.5 seconds short to Jamie Whincup in a 2012 thriller.
After taking the lead in the closing laps of the chaotic 2017 race, Reynolds could visualise the finish line — but it wasn’t as pleasant as the celebrations.
“Winning that race, it just means so much,” Reynolds said in a special Bathurst sitdown.
"I still remember the feeling I was getting a few laps before the end, because you kinda know what's gonna happen, and I was getting butterflies in my stomach.
“I was starting to dry retch because I was so nervous of what was gonna happen after winning that race. Then, as soon as you cross the line, all that finishes and it's just joy and excitement and happiness.
“Then rolling your car out the back of pit lane, rolling under the garage, into the crowd, and just having all your teammates there.
“Doing it with Luke Youlden at the time, just off our faces with happiness. It was ridiculous. Getting on the podium, seeing everyone down there, it's just one of the best days of your life."
The highs of 2017 carried over into 2018, with Reynolds soaring to pole. Ultimately, a big week, coupled with nerves and a lack of sleep, consigned Reynolds to cramps in the final hour, handing victory to Craig Lowndes.
Come 2024, and Reynolds walked away from a 32G accident in qualifying. Last year, he was inches away from stealing victory from Matt Payne on the very last lap.
He insists he isn’t carrying scars from any of the heartbreaks, but made no secret of how impactful defeat can be.
"I'm sort of famously known for winning it and then losing it the next year. That was one of the hardest moments I suppose I've had in sport,” Reynolds recounted.
“I know what it feels like to win it, and then to lose it the next year was just equally heartbreaking. Just the way it all unfolded, the week, the practice, qualifying, the whole race itself, and then coming short 20 laps from the end was just the most heartbreaking thing.
"I had huge expectation on myself, on the team, having a really fast car, qualifying on pole. It was the recipe to win more easily than we did the year before, and to fall that short was just ridiculous.
"And I did say something on the telecast. I said, 'I'm either gonna win this race or leave on a body bag’, and I left in a body bag.”
Reynolds will race with 2010 champion James Courtney. Track action at Mount Panorama commences on Thursday October 8.
