The clearest sign of Reynolds' hot form

Few drivers are on a hot streak of form quite like Team 18 recruit David Reynolds, who has already carried over his speed to his new home.

The 2017 Bathurst winner’s three-year stint with Penrite Racing ended with four straight podiums at the end of the 2023 season.

Reynolds, 38, finished third and first at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, and second and third at the season-ending VAILO Adelaide 500.

The Gold Coast win was Reynolds’ first in five years, while his run of four straight podiums was a career-best, beating his previous best runs of three from 2015 and 2022.

It came after Reynolds raced to fifth in the Repco Bathurst 1000 with Garth Tander, despite being penalised early over a Safety Car breach.

Come 2024, and in his first round in a Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro, Reynolds finished eighth and sixth at the Thrifty Bathurst 500 to be fifth for the round.

In a clear sign of Reynolds’ form, the Albury-born driver has scored 960 of a possible 1200 points from the last four rounds across 2023 and 2024 — more than any other driver.

In the same period, current rivals Chaz Mostert (894 points), Broc Feeney (753) and Thomas Randle are just behind.

In the final three rounds of 2023 — Bathurst 1000, Gold Coast and Adelaide — Reynolds’ 768 points haul even bettered eventual champion Brodie Kostecki’s haul of 717 points, with Mostert (627) third.

Reynolds’ performance in Bathurst 500 turned heads, given he had to cast aside a practice crash, Saturday Shootout puncture and Sunday qualifying engine issue to score two top 10s.

“That was my first ever race weekend with Team 18, and I drove my little TRADIE car behind me and I had an absolute wonderful weekend,” he said after the Bathurst 500.

"Everyone's so much fun, so cool, had the best time ever, laughed, made our car better, and loved it.

“All in all it's a really good start to the season. I think we finished fourth in the team's championship. It's a really good result for everyone and it's just a fantastic way to start the year."

Reynolds is now preparing to race on home soil in Melbourne, where he has a win, four podiums and a pole at the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit.

The MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint will be held on March 21-24.