Karl Reindler has secured his first full-time drive in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.
The 24-year-old has officially entered into an agreement to compete in the remaining Britek entry from 2010.
While Reindler could not confirm the team that he will drive for, Speedcafe understands that Brad Jones Racing will expand to a three-car entry next year, fielding cars for current driver Jason Richards, new BJR signing Jason Bright and Reindler.
Bright’s deal has not been able to be made public yet due to an existing deal the former Bathurst winner has with Ford.
Expect an official announcement regarding BJR’s official plans soon after the Sydney Telstra 500 this weekend.
Reindler told Speedcafe that he was “over the moon” to have secured his immediate future as a full-time V8 Supercar driver.
“I was pretty confident that I’d be able to do a deal, but to actually get it over the line is a huge relief,” he said.
“I think I’ve been really persistent and patient over the last few years. It was tough to make an executive decision at the start of the year not to race, with the exception of the endurance races with Jason (Bright).
“I have to say, I’m glad the way everything has turned out. I’m very excited about the opportunity.”
Reindler’s V8 experience is limited, having contested the 2008 Fujitsu V8 Series with Howard Racing, plus two Bathurst 1000s. Getting a full season of championship miles is what he is most looking forward to.
“The miles I’ve had in V8s so far is still pretty slim, so I’m probably going to triple my mileage that I’ve had in total,
“There’s so much to learn. It’s ultra competitive. I just need to learn as much as I can, stay out of trouble, take it all in and maximise everything. I’m not going to be in the top five – it would be ridiculous to think that.
”Maybe a top 10 here or there would be awesome, but I probably won’t be there consistently until the 2011 season.”
Reindler was going to compete in the season-final Fujitsu V8 Series at Homebush (driving for Greg Murphy Racing), but now with a deal in place for 2010, he decided to consolidate and focus on next year.
The West Australian driver has had a steady climb up the ranks in Australian motorsport. He won the 2004 Australian Formula 3 Championship before heading to England to compete in British F3. After winning a race in that prestigious title, he was selected as a driver for A1 Team Australia, with a best result a podium. In 2008, he drove with Howard Racing in the Fujitsu V8 Series, taking eighth overall.
This year, he sat on the sidelines for the majority of the year, contesting the endurance races with Jason Bright in the Fujitsu Racing Falcon FG. The pair finished with a best result of 11th at Bathurst.
