Reynolds wins first V8 race since 2013

Ford's David Reynolds has scored his first V8 Supercars win since October 2013, winning Sunday's 70-lap race in Darwin.

Chaz Mostert of Prodrive Racing

Three of V8 Supercars' drivers have been docked championship points after a chaotic day of racing. (AAP)

He's not resting on one result, but David Reynolds hopes his drought-breaking V8 Supercars win in Darwin will go some way towards securing a new deal with his Ford team.

Reynolds is off-contract at season's end but sent a strong message to Prodrive Racing Australia with his second career victory and first since the Gold Coast 2013 in Sunday's 70-lap race.

The 29-year-old started from pole position and, despite running off with 24 laps to go, crossed the line ahead of PRA stablemate Chaz Mostert and Holden's Fabian Coulthard.

"I've put in a lot of work over the last couple of months and tried probably harder than anyone else off the track to try and make myself better," said Reynolds, who battled stomach pains before the race.

"I've seen psychologists, tried to get reaction times as best I could, and just trying to curb my emotions to make myself not too excitable but not too relaxed each weekend and try and maintain my calm.

"So hopefully this is a little step that I've made."

His result capped off another stellar weekend for PRA, who walked away with two wins and three podiums between Reynolds, Mostert and series leader Mark Winterbottom.

"The guys at Prodrive Racing Australia have given all of us guys a pretty good car," Mostert said.

"On a track I thought was going to be a weakness of ours, we've actually turned it into a bit of a strength."

Winterbottom finished Sunday's feature fifth but extended his championship lead to 95 points over Holden rival Craig Lowndes.

Lowndes and Red Bull Racing teammate Jamie Whincup started 15th and 12th respectively but had looked to benefit from a bold move to pit early and don the generally quicker, soft rubber tyre.

But the strategy proved fatal, with the freshly resurfaced Hidden Valley circuit wreaking havoc on their rubber and forcing them back in the pits.

Lowndes finished 15th and Whincup a lowly 22nd - further hurting their title standings after being docked championship points for their involvement in incidents on Saturday.

Lowndes copped a 15-point penalty after chalking up a record 100th win in Australian touring cars, while Whincup was penalised 25 points.

Defending champion Whincup, who came into the weekend fourth overall, has slipped back to eighth, while Mostert took his place in fourth.

The series next heads to Townsville from July 10-12.


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Source: AAP


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