In a post-practice press conference, V8 Supercar driver David Reynolds was asked if he knew about the all-female team that was competing at Bathurst this weekend.
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The women are the first all-female combination to race at Bathurst since 1998.
HE MAY be Australian V8 royalty but there is nothing proper about the comments made this week by the boyfriend of Darwin model Tahan Lew-Fatt.
“I unreservedly apologise for a comment I made in a press conference earlier today in relation to my female teammates”, he said in a statement.
Reynolds issued an apology about the statement saying he understood it caused offence.
Meanwhile, controversial driver David Reynolds appeared to have lost little of his pace after making headlines for all the wrong reasons on Thursday.
Reynolds, a renowned prankster on the V8 circuit, apologised for his remarks later that day.
Reynolds, a former Porsche champion, is also battling to retain his sponsorship with Prodrive Racing Australia, coming off-contract at the end of the year.
V8 Supercars boss James Warburton was quick to slam the “disgraceful” comment directed at Ford duo Simona de Silvestro and Renee Gracie, following Thursday’s practice.
“It started as an eight-year-old go-karting and finishing ahead of a field of young boys and having their fathers berate them because they were beaten by a girl”, Women in Australian Motorsport committee member Samantha Reid said.
“Reynolds’ comments were disgraceful and completely unacceptable in our sport and he has been fined $25,000”, Warburton said.
It’s not the first time the relatively inexperienced all-woman team have been targeted by high-profile male racers in the lead-up to the historic Bathurst race.
“Dick Johnson hasn’t finished heaps of races so he can’t talk”, Gracie said in response on Wednesday.
Reynolds has been fined by the motorsport’s governing body and later apologised for making the comment.
“I certainly think we are progressing in the right direction, but I would be lying if I said that there wasn’t any sexism left in the sport”.
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“Because the attention is on us if we don’t finish it would be a shame”, added Silvestro.
