Reynolds has the last laugh at Bathurst 1000
Dave Reynolds has become a Mount Panorama legend by winning the Bathurst 1000 in a thrilling 161-lap fight.
In a giant-killing win that saw minnow team Erebus win V8s greatest prize, Reynolds stormed home to become one of Bathurst’s most unlikely winners with co-driver Luke Youlden.
A V8 funny man with witty one-liners and off-track antics, Reynolds survived a six-lap sprint to the line following a safety car restart to fulfil his dream of becoming a Bathurst champion.
In a fairy-tale story for a one car team owned by Westfield shopping centre heiress Betty Klimenko, Reynolds shot down the biggest name in the sports.
And Reynolds, 32, was the man to deliver the shock by holding off Walkinshaw Racer Scott Pye and DJR Team Penske Fabian Coulthard to record the popular win.
Surviving one of the wettest Bathurst in recent history, Reynolds powered his way home to win by more than four seconds.
The race exploded to life on lap 145 after the first crash of the 1000 prompted a safety car restart.
Shane Van Gisbergen spun from the front at the restart to start chaos.
Bunched and in a no-holds-barred fight for Bathurst glory, Ford fliers Cameron Waters and Chaz Mostert both copped hits to crush their dreams.
Enter Dave Reynolds. The Erebus racer floored his way past Nick Percat to steal the lead with 15 laps to go.
Reynolds looked set to be forced into a finish line fight with Van Gisbergen, who went back on a charge to steal third. But the Red Bull driver lost it trying to past Scott Pye.
“It was just a perfect day. It was so good,” he told Fox Sports following the victory.