Where new Reynolds/Tander pairing has it over rivals

Experience counts for a great deal in the Great Race, and that will again be the case in 2023, led by the new David Reynolds/Garth Tander pairing.

Seven driving combinations at this year's Repco Bathurst 1000 will combine for 30 or more Great Race starts.

It was announced this week that Reynolds and Tander will share the #26 Penrite Racing Ford Mustang at Sandown and Bathurst.

Reynolds and Tander will be the most experienced line-up this year, with the two drivers combining for 39 starts and six victories.

The October 5-8 event will be Tander’s 25th start, and the 16th for Reynolds.

The newly- re-signed Craig Lowndes — who has seven wins — is the most experienced driver in the field, and will make his 30th consecutive Bathurst start.

Triple Eight veteran Lowndes’ 29 starts shadow young co-driver Zane Goddard’s three, although they combine for 32 Bathurst starts.

Behind the Reynolds/Tander pairing are the Davison brothers, with Will (19) and Alex (18) combining for 37 starts — the same as Team 18’s Mark Winterbottom (20) and Michael Caruso (17).

Team 18’s Scott Pye (11) and Warren Luff (22) reunite and combine for 33 starts, with Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Nick Percat (12) and Fabian Coulthard (19) combining for 31 starts).

Rounding out the ’30 club’ are Tim Slade (14) and 2016 winner Jonathon Webb (16), who combine for 30 starts.

When it comes to driving together, the Davison' brothers six Bathurst starts together are well ahead of the next best, the three of Pye and Luff.

In contrast, Penrite Racing also has the least experienced pairing with one combined start, with 2022 debutant Matt Payne combining with 2023 Bathurst 1000 rookie Kevin Estre.

The Reynolds/Tander partnership has many ties, including Tander being engineered to 2020 victory at Triple Eight by current Penrite Racing Technical Director Grant McPherson.

Reynolds’ current engineer, Alistair McVean, was Tander’s race engineer when he won the Bathurst 1000 with the Holden Racing Team in 2009 and 2011.

A case of young and experienced at Penrite Racing

Additionally, Reynolds was in the Walkinshaw stable until the end of 2010, and raced with Will Davison in the second HRT entry that year.

“I am thrilled to drive with Garth this year,” Reynolds, the 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner, said.

“We have known each other for a long time and he’s as good as they come.

“He is really respected, his knowledge of the sport and his craft is fantastic, and if there is one person you want to be paired with for enduros, it’s him.”

Tander added: “I’m excited to pair up with Dave for Sandown and Bathurst.

“With Dave being a former Bathurst winner himself, I’m looking forward to learning more about how Dave goes about the business of driving fast at those two events.

“Dave and I have been in the same team together in the past, but never shared the same car, so should be a bit of fun given how much of a character Dave is, but when it’s time to go to work, it will be full focus on the job at hand.”

The Penrite Oil Sandown 500 takes place on September 15-17, before the Repco Bathurst 1000 on October 5-8.

Most combined Great Race starts for 2023