Sick lap gives Reynolds a breakthrough pole

The “man flu” has not stopped David Reynolds from getting a timely breakthrough pole position for Saturday’s Race 21 in Townsville, his first in two years and Team 18’s first in six years.

Despite coughing behind the helmet at 40 years young, Reynolds was at his best, producing a 1:12.8352 to nail the Shootout and take pole.

It was the 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner’s first pole since back in Newcastle 2023, 70 races ago.

It could not have come at a better time, given a tough start to 2025 with just three top 10 grid positions in the previous 22 races.

Reynolds was a tenth clear of Matt Payne, while Broc Feeney and Jack Le Brocq also put in fast laps to fill the second row as James Courtney gave BRT another reason to cheer getting the #7 into the top five.

Despite constantly coughing, no one cared as the entire Team 18 crew embraced their resurgent veteran after he gave them just their second pole and first since all the way back in Tasmania 2019.

“I am not too well and this flu would kill a normal man, so luckily I am strong,” Reynolds said.

“Big thanks to my team because they did an awesome job overnight.

“My car was not the best yesterday, but they really tuned it up and bore fruit today. Just a bit of set-up stuff.

Straight away, I thought my front was heaps better.

“Everyone has been so supportive after an average start to the year.”

P9 Will Davison 1:13.4836 +0.6484

In his 18^th Townsville Shootout Davison put in a solid effort on four fresh tyres.

Despite a bump ride through Turn 3, he strung together a clean lap.

“Story of the day I keep finding the switch in the tyres and could not quite do that. Didn’t have the rear up in traction and fought it the whole lap. It was clean, but not much grip,” Davison said.

P6 Brodie Kostecki 1:13.1195 +0.2843

Kostecki followed his teammate and was immediately up at the first slit.

Used all the available kerbs through the second sector and found a massive three tenths in that section alone.

Ended up with a comfortable 0.3641s, setting a solid marker.

“I don’t think it would be good enough. I could not quite get the tyres in the window,” Kostecki said.

P3 Broc Feeney 1:12.9488 +0.1136

On three brand new tyres, Feeney was neck and neck with Kostecki across the first sector before finding a full tenth through the esses.

Kept it clean despite a little moment at the hairpin approach to maintain his margin and fly into the 1m12s window. proved to be a tough lap to beat.

“Still struggling through he first couple of corners but really happy with how it gripped up for the rest of the lap,” Feeney said.

P4 Jack Le Brocq 1:13.0009 +0.1657

Determined to repeat his heroics from last year, he shot out of the gates with a purple first sector.

After being near level with Feeney at the midpoint, a small lock-up at the hairpin saw him slip 0.0521s shy of the #88.

“Felt a bit scrappy and I am really struggling with turn 11 and grabbed the right front which hurt us a bit, but not bad,” Le Brocq said.

P7 Cooper Murray 1:13.1318 +0.2966

Following his Erebus teammate, rookie Murray enjoyed a solo Shootout lap in the sun and nailed the opening sector on four green tyres.

Caught the kerb with the inside wheels at Turn 5, which sent the #99 airborne, but he stayed in the mix.

Sadly, the lap disappeared with a big smoky lock up at the hairpin and he lost a tenth to only beat Davison.

“Pretty filthy because it was a good lap until then and I was up on my lap overstepped the mark and paid the price,” Murray said.

P10 Bryce Fullwood 1:14.2108 +1.3756

Carrying on his momentum after a fast Friday, Fullwood was keen to move forward after feeling he didn’t maximise his qualifying potential the previous day.

On used tyres he battled for grip and was almost half a second on the first sector alone.

Ended up a distant 1.2620s off the pace and seven tenths away from Davison

“There is a big step up with the grip on a new tyre around this place,” he said.

POLE David Reynolds 1:12.8352

Despite struggling with the “man flu” Reynolds made a welcome and timely return to the top 10 and completed his 83^rd one-lap dash.

Nailed the first sector, going purple by 0.079s with nice braking flow.

Danced his car through the esses and perfected the braking to the hairpin to snatch provisional pole from Feeney by a tenth.

This brought the session to a new dimension

“That was not a bad lap! Pretty good. I felt better yesterday, but my car is better, so I font care how I feel

P5 James Courtney 1:13.0766 +0.2414

The winner from the first Townsville weekend was back in the spotlight.

Was a tenth down in both the first and second sectors, but had a decent final split to ensure he only ended up 0.2414s short of Reynolds.

Was enough to beat Kostecki and be fourth at the time of his lap despite a small moment in Turn 3.

“Could have been better in the first half, I was a bit cautious in the first turn with the wind,” Courtney said.

P8 Will Brown 1:13.2018 +0.3666

Bouncing back from recent qualifying struggles, Brown was determined to make a statement on the set of fresh tyres he saved in Q2.

Effectively matched Reynolds in the first sector, being just 0.007s, but could not maintain that momentum through the esses.

Dropped a tenth in each of the second and third sectors, having caught the kerb at Turn 5 to settle down in seventh at the time, dropping in just behind Murray.

“Didn’t get through turns 5 and 6 that well and made a lot of mistakes on that lap, but we can race from here,” he said.

P2 Matt Payne 1:12.9411 +0.1059

On three fresh tyres Payne had a solid start, being just 0.085s off the pace after the first three corners.

However, he struggled to stay in touch across the rest of the lap lost two tenths in second sector.

Gained back some time towards the end to salvage a front row start and knock Feeney from second.

Image: Mark Horsburgh

2025 Townsville 500

FRIDAY 11th July

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