Supercars driver Dave Reynolds opens up on why he forced to flee amid a vaccination scandal

Ahead of his V8 return, Dave Reynolds has spoken exclusively about the embarrassment of being evicted from NSW after getting caught up in a Covid vaccination exemption drama.

SUPERCARS – NEWCASTLE 500 – Pictured is Supercars CEO Sean Seamer before the first race of the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 today. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Dave Reynolds has broken his silence on the revoked vaccination exemption that saw him ejected from NSW after he raced in the first instalment of the Sydney Super Night without being vaccinated against the coronavirus.

In an exclusive interview ahead of his V8 return, the Ford flyer has spoken about the embarrassment of being evicted from NSW after a previously approved exemption to race in NSW was revoked.

Despite abiding by all NSW Health directives, Reynolds was subjected to claims of wrong doing after it was revealed that he had raced at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMP) without being double vaxxed.

There were suggestions that he had snuck into SMP in the back of a truck.

“I felt a little bit (like a criminal),” Reynolds said.

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Dave Reynolds says the whole episode has made him more motivated than ever. Picture: Tim Hunter

“There were some really funny rumours getting around. No one knew anything that was going on except for myself and the Health Department and all the rumours were fabrications. No one had any idea of the reality.”

While not willing to disclose the medical condition, Reynolds said he was approved to race in the first Sydney Super Night despite being unvaccinated against Covid.

“I got an exemption from my doctor because of a health concern and that went through to Victoria Health, Supercars and NSW Health,” Reynolds said.

“It was all approved and I was given permission to both travel and race.”

Reynolds first became aware of a problem just hours before the season-resuming race on October 30.

“I was told that there was an issue on the Saturday,” Reynolds said.

“It was a technicality and they challenged me on it. I had to speak to a doctor and after that they decided to revoke my exemption.”

Reynolds was allowed to finish his race weekend after agreeing to a series of conditions.

“I was isolated from everyone,” Reynolds said.

“Including my team. I did all my correspondence by zoom and by way of phone and was kept isolated in a trailer of the truck whenever I was not in the car. I was also tested every day.”

Reynolds admitted he struggled with the decision that put the remainder of his V8 season in doubt.

Dave Reynolds says being sidelined and watching on television was a hard pill to swallow.

“It was tough,” Reynolds said. “A hard pill to swallow. I had been planning on being on the road for four weeks having good times with my boys and I was told I would have to drive back to Melbourne and watch it on the TV.

“It was tough watching on it the TV. I saw my car and thought I should have been in it.”

Reynolds had his first vaccination in Sydney before travelling back to Melbourne.

“I went and started the program straight away once I learned I would need to be vaccinated to continue racing,” Reynolds said.

“I followed the health guidelines that were set. I was willing to do anything that was required to get back racing as quick as I could.”

Cleared of any wrong doing by a CAMS investigation, Reynolds was given the green light to race in this weekend’s Sydney Super Night after receiving his second hit.

“A little flame starting burning inside when I was watching it on TV,” Reynolds said.

“It was a big motivation and if anything, I am more motivated than ever. I want to prove that I belong here and prove that I am still a man to beat.”

Reynolds set for racing return after vaccine drama

Dave Reynolds’ V8 exodus is over with the Bathurst winning driver set to return to racing this weekend.

Reynolds, who was extradited from NSW two weeks ago after a medical exemption to race unvaccinated was revoked, was cleared to race after receiving his second vaccination on Wednesday.

Reynolds will replace stand-in Luke Youlden for both the Sydney SuperNight and the Bathurst 1000.

Dave Reynolds is set to return to racing after his second vaccination.

BRAKING NEWS

RAGING BULL: WHINCUP ROASTED FOR DEFYING TEAM ORDERS

An angry Roland Dane has admitted “a contrite” Jamie Whincup cost the team victory after ignoring team orders in a heated on-track battle with teammate Shane van Gisbergen in Sunday’s final sprint race at Sydney Motorsport Park.

But the Triple Eight boss accepted V8 immortal Whincup’s apology to the team for making what Dane said was the “wrong call in the car”.

Seven-time champion Whincup and series leader van Gisbergen waged a spirited fight for position as they attempted to chase down Erebus Motorsport’s race winner Will Brown.

Second-placed Whincup refused to concede his position to van Gisbergen despite being told over the team radio to “let Shane through”.

Roland Dane wasn’t happy with his star driver.

Dane was convinced the jostling had cost the team the win.

“For sure it cost the win, 100 per cent,” Dane said.

“Shane would have undoubtedly got Will, but on the other hand I am extremely happy for Will, someone I have taken an interest in for a long time and he flew under the radar very effectively.

“But that’s ifs, ifs, ifs. At the end of the day, we didn’t win it, Will did and well done Will.”

Watching on from Queensland, Dane said he was “underwhelmed” with what he had seen but Whincup – who will retire from full-time racing at the end of the year to take over as Triple Eight team boss – had quickly owned up to his mistake to the team after the race.

“Jamie knows that he didn’t make the right call in the car and he has apologised to everyone at Triple Eight since. He apologised to the team almost immediately,” Dane said.

Jamie Whincup refused to concede his position to Shane van Gisbergen last weekend.

“He knows he didn’t do the right thing and he understands that and we move on.

“He is super competitive but at the end of the day at this level it is a team sport.

“I can sympathise with him thinking he has only got a few more races as a full-time driver, but it was the wrong call in the car and he has apologised and he understood very quickly that it wasn’t the right decision.

“Jamie has been harder on himself than anyone ever would be about it. He is very contrite and now we crack on with the final three races of the season.”

GLITZ AND GLAMOUR

Sean Seamer will be given a 90-day stay of execution as the CEO of Supercars as part of a comprehensive review to be conducted by the sport’s new owners.

Braking News can reveal that no job at Supercars will be safe when the RACE group officially takes ownership of the sport this week.

Set to take over from Archer Capital’s Peter Wiggs as Supercars chairman after spearheading the $100-million buyout, RACE powerbroker Barclay Nettleford will not be handing out guarantees to Seamer or any Supercars employee after his group obtained full control of the sport.

Sean Seamer could be on the chopping block.

It is understood that Seamer and his key staff will be asked to audition for their jobs and will be required to present a business plan to the RACE group, which was formed when Nettleford’s TGI Sport formed a partnership with the Australian Racing Group (ARG) to buy the sport.

Despite a push from the ARG side of the ownership group to have ARG CEO Matt Baird installed as CEO, RACE’s decision will be guided by the review and Seamer is not a dead man walking as some have suggested.

In fact, Braking News has been told that the group is “generally” happy with the performance of the business.

Nettleford, a global player in Sports Media through both TGI Sport and QMS Media, will, however, look to return Supercars to the entertainment spectacular it was before Archer cut the sport to the bone as part of its investment strategy.

We have been told the new owners will return to the glitz and glamour that has been lacking since Tony Cochrane’s departure.

Fans can expect big ticket street races to replace some of the lesser rural circuit rounds.

Will Brown grabbed his maiden Supercars victory on Sunday.

WILLING BROWN ON

Erebus Motorsport owner Betty Klimenko admits her heart was in her mouth as she watched Brown take his maiden Supercars victory from her living room.

Forced to watch the Sydney races from home because she is unable to be vaccinated due to a health condition, Klimenko was making plenty of noise from afar for her team’s biggest moment of the year.

“Usually I would be standing up walking around the room with nervous energy, but my three dogs decided to sit on me at that moment and I couldn’t get up and they would not get off me,” Klimenko said.

“So here I am stuck in this one position, my heart was in my mouth, my hands were shaking and when he crossed the line, I just pushed them all off like a mad woman and got up and just cheered and clapped.”

Klimenko was one of the first on the phone to 23-year-old Brown to congratulate him after the race.

“He was a very excited young man, who wouldn’t be? This is his first (win), he will always remember his first,“ she said.

“I just said ‘Well done young man’ and we just told him how great he did at that race.” 

What number will Broc Feeney be racing in 2022?

NUMBER GAME

Whincup has given his support to his replacement, Broc Feeney, carrying his No. 88 on his car when the teenager debuts in the series next year.

While Triple Eight is yet to make a call on what number Feeney will race in when he steps into the seat vacated by the soon-to-be team boss, Whincup admitted he was not big on the idea of retiring numbers.

“I’m fine with No. 88 continuing in the category, I’m not a big one on retiring numbers or anything like that,” Whincup said.

“We have high expectations of Broc but no more than what he would have on himself.”

Feeney has campaigned in the No. 888, which was previously used by Craig Lowndes for Triple Eight in Supercars, in Super2 this year.

“I am a bit unknown at the moment what number I am running,” Feeney said.

“The conversation hasn’t really happened in the team at the moment so I think that will be something that will happen after Bathurst and we will make a final decision.

“I was fortunate enough to run the 888 this year and Jamie is the 88 and I suppose we will wait and see what happens.”

MAN OF THE MATCH

As if securing your first win in Supercars was not a big enough deal, holding off two of the heavyweights of the sport while you do it ups the ante.

Erebus Motorsport rookie Brown proved himself to be a cool customer as he pressed on for his maiden Supercars victory with Triple Eight pair Whincup and van Gisbergen breathing down his neck in Sunday‘s final race at SMP.

Brown gets the votes for the third round of the Sydney quadruple header ahead of Dick Johnson Racing’s Anton De Pasquale, who banked a pair of wins to continue his strong return to racing after the break.

Originally published as Supercars driver Dave Reynolds opens up on why he forced to flee amid a vaccination scandal