Reynolds delivers to promised land
HOLDEN’S David Reynolds made good on his promise to deliver in Darwin and celebrated a big win over championship leader Scott McLaughlin yesterday with a newly named “booty”.
Just three days after declaring he would win his first race at Hidden Valley since he created a worldwide sensation by drinking from his shoe, the Erebus Motorsport star put himself well back into contention in the title race by storming through the field to break a three-year Darwin drought.
In beating DJR Team Penske driver McLaughlin and Red Bull Holden Racing’s Jamie Whincup, Reynolds moved into third place in the championship standings.
“My car was just amazing today,’’ Reynolds said.
“I could not fault it. Darwin has been the best weekend for us as a team for a long time. The whole weekend has just been magical.’’
Reynolds last week predicted his win in an interview with News Corp.
“I have been telling anyone that asks that I am going to win this weekend,’’ Reynolds said.
“I will tell you the same thing. We always go well here.’’
And that Reynolds did. Rick Kelly had dominated qualifying to deny McLaughlin pole position by winning the shootout.
The Nissan driver came from nowhere to surprise even himself with his first pole in 12 months.
“This one is completely unexpected,” Kelly said of the 10th pole of his career. “I thought if we did a clean lap we might be in the top four, but this is massive.”
Although McLaughlin did not win the race, his second – or even a simple finish – was just as good considering the circumstances.
The Shell V-Power star was in danger of not completing the 70-lap race.
Excessive smoke from the back of his engine and issues with ventilation meant the Ford flyer could have easily been forced to the garage early.
Instead, McLaughlin crossed the line behind only Reynolds to go alongside his win in Saturday’s 42-lap race.
McLaughlin has won six of the season’s 16 races, only two shy of the number he brought up last year when he narrowly missed out on winning the title when beaten by Jamie Whincup.
The series moves to Townsville on July 6-8.