Despite an impressive showing in this year’s touring car title fight, where he sits third with the potential to take up the slack from Chaz Mostert’s Bathurst smash for a Falcon 1-2, there is no place for him on the Prodrive Ford roster next year.
Waiting for a potential renewal of his Bottle-O contract has cost him dearly, as youngster Cam Waters is set to drive the Kermit green Falcon next year and all the plum seats have already been filled for 2016.
“It’s looking pretty ugly at the moment,” Reynolds admits to Fox Sports.
Reynolds was originally looking good for a Commodore swap into Brad Jones Racing, but when he delayed his decision the team swooped instead on Tim Slade who was left without a backer at Walkinshaw Racing when Supercheap Auto decided to splash its colours on Mark Winterbottom’s Falcon — a certainty now to be wearing Number 1 — from 2016.
Will Davison is now expected to switch from an Erebus Mercedes to the Tekno Commodore next year while James Moffat, confirmed on Thursday to be leaving Nissan at the end of 2015, should slide into the second Volvo S60 alongside Scott McLaughlin at Garry Rogers’ team. Dale Wood is predicted to take Moffat’s spot at Nissan.
With Fabian Coulthard and Scott Pye already confirmed at an expanded DJR Team Penske outfit, and big names including Winterbottom, James Courtney, Jamie Whincup and Garth Tander still under contract — and Craig Lowndes moving to a Triple Eight satellite car with TeamVortex as Shane van Gisbergen joins Red Bull Racing — there are slim pickings for Reynolds.
“But I haven’t given up. I’m still beating the bushes,” he says.
Some people believe his controversial ‘Pussy Wagon’ jibe at Bathurst, which cost him a $25,000 fine from V8 Supercars management, is the key to his troubles but many of the driver moves for next year were locked down well before he arrived at Mount Panorama.
“I think I probably waited too long,” Reynolds admits.
There are still some possibilities for Reynolds, with Betty Klimenko likely to need a second Erebus Mercedes driver, and uncertainty over the plans at Walkinshaw Racing and for the third car at BJR out of Albury.
But Chris Pither is looking good for Super Black Racing as the young Kiwi has cash backing from Ice Break and also has the essential New Zealand passport. The question, now, is whether Super Black will continue as a Ford team with Prodrive or switch allegiance to Walkinshaw, where there is a fourth Racing Entitlements Contract available.
Via Fox Sports AU
