REYNOLDS, YOULDEN REIGN AT BATHURST
Reynolds tames the mountain in an epic battle
NOBODY is laughing at Dave Reynolds now.
Known as the Supercars joker, a flower pot- throwing, one- line whiz who drinks champagne from a shoe, Reynolds was born as a serious racer yesterday when he won the Bathurst 1000.
Exactly two years after being issued a record Bathurst fine of $ 25,000 for calling an all- female race- car the “Pussy Wagon’’, Reynolds, 32, survived a 1000km wet weather war to become the king of Mount Panorama.
It was a giant- killing win from a one- car team punching well above its weight. Six- time winner Mark Skaife described it as a victory for David over Goliath.
“I have nothing left to give,’’ Reyn- olds said. “I am absolutely spent. It was just an unbelievable day and my crew were faultless. “It was just a perfect day.’’ Flooring his way to the lead on lap 146, Reynolds sprinted home to score the fairytale win for Erebus Motorsport and Holden.
While he might have become a serious star, beating the likes of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, Reynolds still celebrated in his own peculiar style. Crying tears of joy as he emerged from his Commodore, Reynolds kicked one of his boots into the crowd, pretended to sleep on his car, and, of course, drank champagne from his remaining shoe.
“This is just so awesome,’’ Reynolds said. “This is just such a special team.
“It is massive for the team. We have moved workshops twice, changed manufacturer, but this team is getting better and better. I just love my job when I am working for them.
Combining with Luke Youlden to help team owner Betty Klimenko realise her lifelong dream, Reynolds drove through horrid conditions to win by almost four seconds.
He had won just three races before conquering Australia’s hardest race.
Team owner Klimenko could not contain her emotion after winning the great race. Klimenko conquered the mountain after four years of trying as a privately owned and run race team.
“Sorry I just can’t talk,’’ Klimenko said. “This is all too much.’’
Following a tame start in torrential rain, the race exploded to life on lap 145 after a crash prompted a safety car restart.
The chaos started after Red Bull giant Shane Van Gisbergen spun from the front at the restart.
Bunched and in a no- holds- bar fight for Bathurst glory, Ford flyers Cameron Waters and Chaz Mostert both copped hits to crush their dreams. Enter Dave Reynolds. Fighting for a fairytale win that would see a minnow floor a posse of giants, the Erebus racer steered 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 behemoth spewed from the track with an all or nothing play to take second to kill his chance.
Reynolds was forced into a six- lap sprint following another crash but held on to win.