Photo: V8 Supercars

David Reynolds nets first victory of 2015

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David Reynolds netted his first V8 Supercars victory of 2015 in the final race of the weekend in Darwin. The Rod Nash Racing driver headed fellow Ford driver Chaz Mostert to win the race by just nine tenths of a second, with Fabian Coulthard bringing home his Brad Jones Racing Holden Commodore in third position.

”Unbelievable. I had to do 60 laps on the soft tyre which is unheard of really. I am a bit knackered now as I had a bit of a stomach pain ahead of the race,” said Reynolds.

Reynolds started from pole after breaking the qualifying lap record but was passed by Coulthard coming into the first corner. The Ford driver was back in the lead after the first pitstop but was never able to break clear of the two drivers behind him.

The Rod Nash Racing driver kept the lead for the remaining part of the race, despite a scare towards the end of the race when he made a mistake and was off track briefly.

Shane Van Gisbergen secured fourth position for Tekno Autosports ahead of championship leader Mark Winterbottom. Nick Percat crossed the line in sixth position with James Courtney in seventh and Jason Bright in eighth.

The majority of the drivers opted to start on soft tyres but there were a few other strategies. Jamie Whincup pitted on the first lap, choosing a strategy to get a clear track. The reigning champion was making progress up through the field until he had to make an unscheduled stop due to a flat spot, dropping to 22nd position.

Triple Eight Race Engineering team mate Craig Lowndes suffered a similar fate, pitting from third position close to the end of the race as his tyres were worn out, dropping him to 15th position.

Another driver on a different strategy was Volvo Polestar Racing’s Scott McLaughlin who started 21st, selecting to run hard tyres. The Kiwi made strong progress up through the field to finish 11th.

Winterbottom continues to top the standings on 1165 points, with Lowndes in third on 1070 points and Coulthard third on 1010 points. The V8 Supercars continues on July 11-12th with the Castrol Edge Townsville 400.