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Features

David Reynolds: Decade Dave

David Reynolds is known as the larrikin of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, but there’s much more to the man with a 10-year deal locking him in with Erebus Motorsport until he’s 44 years of age.

17 December 2019

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Reynolds says smiling, “I say that between myself and my girlfriend Tahan, I’m the housewife. I do all the cooking, all the cleaning, all the domestication stuff because they are all the little things you need to get right in your own life before you start improving someone else’s life.”

But, strangely, Reynolds’ light-hearted summary of his domestic situation may provide a small insight into why the 34-year-old signed a landmark 10-year deal with Betty Klimenko’s Erebus Motorsport.

“I love having a clean house because for me I’ve got to start by cleaning my own little space in my life” he says. “For me that makes a big difference.”

It’s hard not to see that long-term deal as something that cleans or clears a little space in Reynolds’ life.

“For me, I don’t really like change in my life” he says. “I’ve lived in two apartments in 15 years. I’m a bit of a routine person. I like waking up at the same time, I’m a bit of a weirdo like that. I like things regimented.”

In keeping with the Albury native’s aversion to change, Reynolds doesn’t see the point in switching teams, despite the opportunities that could present, because he is happy where he is.

“Well, the way I look at it is this: I’ve been in a few teams, I’ve been around the traps for a while; I could go to other teams and stuff, but what for?” he explains.

“Why would I move? I really, really love where I am. I love everyone that works here; we’ve got good characters. We have some up and down times, but that’s normal in teams. I thoroughly have enjoyed every moment I’ve been with this team.”

The 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner says securing longevity in a sport which is his life just makes sense.

“The other reason is you see really, really good competitive drivers and they get a little bit later on in life, like Michael Caruso, as an example, he’s a good driver and ended up with nothing to steer” he says.

“What’s my purpose in life to date? I’ve been racing for 28 years or something like that; it’s all I know!”

And this desire to keep his life simple is a key driver for Reynolds.

“Another reason is I don’t really enjoy all the negotiation” he says. “And I don’t like people ringing me offering me stuff. I’m not that sort of person, I don’t like having choice; I like simplicity.”

Team boss Klimenko also likes simplicity. “I got sick of writing contracts, if you really want to know” she says.

“Every two years we’d sit on a balcony somewhere and go, “˜Yeah, yeah, what do you want, what do I want,’ and it got to a stage where it was quite obvious that he was going to be around for a very long time.

“We just decided that we would do a 10-year deal, and that’s why it took so long because you can’t just write a contract like that and say here you are.”

Reynolds says he has two sayings about his 10-year full-time deal with Erebus Motorsport: “It was play long-term games with long-term people ala, long-term deal, Betty and Barry Ryan are good people. Plus, life is all about compound interest, whether it’s investment, relationships or business. The longer you stay with someone or something, the more you get out of it and the easier it becomes, the bigger the gain you have later in life. And that’s what this is about.”

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