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Darwin Triple Crown Supercars: Opening race brought to halt after 15 seconds by monster crash
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A monster crash brought the opening race of the Darwin Triple Crown to a halt less than 15 seconds into a chaotic beginning of racing action.
The usual tussle for spots out of Turn 1 led to tyre contact that sent Brad Jones Racing's Jaxon Evans flying into the barriers.
A safety car was called as the number 12 Camaro, carrying a lot of speed, crashed into the barriers and was forced out of action with massive damage to the front.
Then further up the track, Maculey Jones in his Pizza Hut entry was rear ended, spinning him a full 180 off the track into the grass.
The race restart was equally as chaotic with Erebus' Jack Le Brocq losing a wheel following contact with Rylan Wood.
A confrontation took place between the pair as they hopped out of their vehicles with Le Broq giving Wood, who had showed so much promise in practice, an ear full
Richie Stanaway was also in the pits after a huge log jam forced another safety car out of the restart.
Wood has made his feelings known on the official's decision to restart where they had causing mass chaos and ending his chances in the first race of the Darwin Triple Crown early.
The safety car was in place after Jaxon Evans crashed into a guard rail out of Turn 1, but the ensuing restart caused a multi car crash down the straight.
Kai Allen driver of the #26 Penrite Racing Ford Mustang GT during the Darwin Triple Crown. Picture:Wood's engine failed and his car slowed causing a mass log jam in the back end of the field with Jack Le Brocq's tyre bounding away from his vehicle.
He said it 'was just one of those things' but made a dig at the decision to restart where they had rather than the final turn.
'We changed our safety car restart to go out on the last corner, but we still didn't go out on the last corner,' he said.
'So, if we keep doing the same sh-t on restarts the same stuff is going to happen.'
Meanwhile, Evans said he was alright following the opening lap crash, which he felt he had been escorted into.
'Yeah I'm all good, bit of a sore foot but otherwise I'm all good,' he said.
'Didn't quite execute in qualifying and paid the price racing down the back.
'Felt like I got escorted there at the exit of Turn 1, interlocked wheels and sent me to the fence.
'The car is pretty heavily damaged and unfortunately won't be racing this afternoon.'
FEENEY'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH HIDDEN VALLEY ROLLS ON
Broc Feeney held off a determined chasing Cam Waters to take out his third top place finish from the past four races at Hidden Valley.
A chaotic race start and a persistent clutch issue didn't put any brakes on the Feeney train as he held onto the top spot.
Feeney said his clutch was going all the way to the floor and though he managed to wrangle it the issue did a number on his rear tyres.
'Super hard there, shame at the start (after the crashes),' Feeney said.
'Doing the speeds we were doing, the safety car couldn't pull away so I couldn't go to the straight and unfortunately crashes happen.
'I had a clutch issue for most of that race, it was super stressful didn't know how I was going to go.'
' I was hanging on for dear life, doing qualifying laps, looking forward to the ice bath post race.'
Territorian Bryce Fullwood impressed in his home town return driving himself into fourth, his best result at Hidden Valley and a show of improving pace at BJR.
Matt Payne secured himself another podium finish, and Chaz Mostert made up ground after poor qualifying, but Waters was the threat for Feeney from behind.
Waters overtook Fullwood to deny him his shot at a first home podium and caught Payne as he put the pressure on to regain second.
Originally published as Darwin Triple Crown Supercars: Opening race brought to halt after 15 seconds by monster crash
