Stunning Gold Coast pole for Reynolds

David Reynolds has posted his second pole position of the 2022 season with a stunning 1:10.4046 lap around the Gold Coast street circuit ahead off Shane van Gisbergen.

Having been sixth fastest to make the Top Ten shootout, Reynolds’ scintillating lap time to take pole for this afternoon’s Race 31 was somewhat unexpected and comes off the back of a heartbreaking Bathurst 1000, where the #26 Penrite Mustang was cruelly taken out on the first of 161 laps.

“That was probably one of the best laps I’ve done in my life; there’s no way I can repeat that, so don’t ask me to do it again, that was tough,” Reynolds said.

“My car hooked up, and when I came across the line I couldn’t believe I saw a 10.4, so it’s unbelievable – to the guys and Penrite, they’ve done an unbelievable job to repair the car since Bathurst so it’s a reward for them.”

Shell V-Power Racing’s Anton DePasquale was first on track, but a messy exit out of the chicane before a mistake at turn 12 saw him stay in the 1:11s with a 1:11.1405.

Cam Waters was next out with a faster first sector and mistake-free lap to go faster with a 1:10.987 before Tickford team-mate Thomas Randle posted a 1:11.2427 to be the slowest of the first trio.

Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner was the first Holden on track, and unfortunately for the Gold Coast resident was the first driver to suffer a kerb-strike penalty at the chicane, instantly deleting his lap time and relegating him to the back of the ten.

It was then that David Reynolds used fresh rear tyres to devastating effect to lay down a shock 1:10.41319, a stunning 0.5sec ahead of the field in the Grove Racing Mustang.

The third Tickford Racing Mustang in the top ten, James Courtney was next but was the slowest, his 1:11.4750 putting him last, ahead of only the penalised Heimgartner.

With four cars to run, Reynolds’ time was still unbeaten.

Will Davison’s chances were blown early with a brake lock up that saw him head straight on at the chicane and ruin the lap for the #17 Shell V-Power Racing Mustang.

Brodie Kostecki had his shot but like Heimgartner was given a kerb strike penalty, relegating him to the back. Having qualified ahead of Heimgartner, Kostecki will start ahead of the Kiwi.

Mostert pushed hard in the Walkinshaw Andretti Commodore, making it through the chicane cleanly but was behind Reynolds’ time to post an 1:11.1319 – third-fastest behind Reynolds and Waters with only Shane van Gisbergen left to run.

The championship leader ran wide at turn 4 with his initial sector three-tenths off Reynold’s time, which he couldn’t claw back, going second-fastest with a 1.10.8358.

The result was Reynold’s first pole since Albert Park earlier this year and the 23^rd of the career.

Race 31 starts at 15:45 AEST this afternoon.

Results: Top 10 Shootout for Race 31, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500