Bathurst driver fined $25k for sexist line about female crew

Simona De Silvestro and Renee Gracie drivers of #200 Harvey Norman Supergirls Falcon. Photo / Getty

Timing is everything in comedy.

And as funny as the left-field David Reynolds often is, the V8 Supercars joker fluffed his lines at the Bathurst 1000.

Reynolds was fined $25,000 on Thursday for trying to get a laugh at the post-practice press conference at Mount Panorama by referring to a rival all-female team as "the pussywagon".

It didn't go down well with livid V8 Supercars boss James Warburton who described the comment as "disgraceful".

And it is not a good look for an off-contract Reynolds.

The reaction to the Ford speedster's attempted quip could not have come at a worse time as he looks to seal a new contract with V8 pace-setters Prodrive Racing.

Putting pen to paper will depend on what new sponsors he can attract for the glamour team.

Usually, Reynolds leaves most laughing in the aisles - and the rest scratching their heads.

Reynolds has a history of alternative comedy in V8 Supercars.

He famously toasted his Darwin race win this year by drinking champagne on the podium from his smelly racing boot.

He threw a pot plant from the winner's stage into the crowd after he claimed his maiden victory on the Gold Coast last year.

Each time he was greeted with laughs.

"That's our David," could almost be heard from the V8 crowd.

So it was no surprise that Reynolds couldn't resist when asked whether he was wary of the all-female team of Simona de Silvestro and Renee Gracie after Bathurst 1000 practice on Thursday.

"Don't you mean the pussywagon?" Reynolds smiled.

Many at the press conference sniggered. Some good naturedly groaned.

None, it seemed, were offended.

Without prompting, Reynolds then quickly gave a sincere rap to de Silvestro and Gracie.

"I think they are great. They are good drivers. I really hope they do well," said Reynolds who shares the same Ford team garage as the female drivers.

Reynolds arguably said worse in a radio interview earlier this week.

"During the race we do pads stops, like brake pads, but in their garage apparently it's the only pads stops with wings," Reynolds told Triple M radio.

Reynolds is left field. Unique.

He usually provides a refreshing change to a sporting landscape that is offering more robotic athletes to the media each year.

But at an event boasting its first all-female team since 1998 - and hoping to encourage plenty more - Reynolds was out of line.

Especially after the all-female team had already copped criticism from old school V8 great Dick Johnson who claimed they were "a million to one" and had no chance of finishing their first Bathurst 1000.

Timing is everything.

Reynolds will be hoping his poor choice of words won't cost him just that at his next V8 contract talks.

- AAP