DAVID Reynolds’ Team 18 Camaro will run under the Tradie Beer Racing banner in this year’s Repco Supercars Championship.
Tradie joins Charlie Schwerkolt’s squad after two seasons at Tickford Racing, where it was primary sponsor for Jake Kostecki in 2022 and Declan Fraser last year.
The company began as an underwear brand but now markets a suite of goods under the Tradie name, including a beer range.
Team 18’s announcement of the deal includes the below video of its recruit Reynolds performing a ‘shoey’ with the product.
Reynolds brought the ‘shoey’ celebration to Supercars in 2015 before it gained global attention through Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1.
“I like drinking beer, I like having fun, and they sort of go hand in hand, so it’s going to be an exciting year,” said Reynolds.
Tradie founder and CEO Ben Goodfellow noted Reynolds’ personality, as well as his on-track success, as attracting the sponsor to the team.
“David’s not just another racer, he’s a rockstar of the pit lane and one of the top characters in the paddock, so we’re really excited to join up with him,” he said.
“He’s a perfect fit for the way we showcase our brand, we’ll be sure to have some fun with him and the crew this year.
“His recent successes have us all hyped up to see what he can bring to the team as they enter a new era in 2024.”
Reynolds, 38, replaces Scott Pye in Team 18’s #20 entry, which had operated on a rolling sponsorship model for the last two seasons.
He joins the team following a three-year stint at what is now Grove Racing, ending 2023 on a run of four-straight podium finishes which included a win that broke a near five-year victory drought.
Having only been offered a single-year extension at Groves midway through 2023, Reynolds opted to take a multi-year commitment from Schwerkolt.
“I’m really looking forward to starting a new chapter. I’ve been with my last team for three years, so I’m starting something fresh,” said Reynolds, who struggled for much of 2023 with an uncompetitive Ford Mustang.
“I’m in a Camaro now, so it’s going to be a little bit different for me, but I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone at the team, understand how they work, see what knowledge I can bring and see how far we can get up the grid and win some races.
“I’m really looking forward to partnering with Frosty (Mark Winterbottom) again. I haven’t done that for a long time, but we stayed friends over that time, it’s going to be really fun.”
Reynolds was teammates with Winterbottom at Ford Performance Racing/Prodrive Racing Australia from 2012 to 2015, scoring a career-best third in points during his final year with the squad.
This season will mark the first time since 2015 that Reynolds has not raced in Penrite colours, having carried the oil brand for five seasons at Erebus Motorsport before moving with the sponsor to Groves.
Reynolds will get his first taste of his Team 18 Camaro during a pre-season test at Winton on February 7 ahead of the season-opener at Bathurst later in the month.
Tradie’s deal with Team 18 includes becoming its Official Workwear Partner.
