V8 SUPERCAR: Shock Percat win in wild opener

Nick Percat and Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport emerged as shock winners of a wild and bizarre main race at V8 Supercars' Clipsal 500 opener in Adelaide.

Sunday's 250km showpiece was disrupted by a long safety car period and red flag when a storm left the former Australian Grand Prix Formula 1 venue awash. Although it was restarted, only 48 of the scheduled 78 laps could be completed within the allotted time window.

Under V8 Supercars rules, cars still needed to take on the full 140 liters of fuel for the race despite its truncated finish and many of the frontrunners had not done so, handing the advantage to drivers who had made additional stops to top up earlier on.

Percat therefore rose to the front as leaders Scott McLaughlin, Will Davison and Craig Lowndes pitted in quick succession during the brief final period of green flag racing.

DJR Team Penske drivers Fabian Coulthard and Scott Pye stayed out despite not having sufficient fuel and crossed the line second and third – Coulthard having muscled ahead of Percat briefly in a final-lap tussle – but were given post-race time penalties that dropped them to 14th and 15th.

Percat's win is the first for the LDM Holden team, and his first solo victory after previously triumphing in the 2011 Bathurst 1000 alongside Garth Tander.

Nissan driver Michael Caruso emerged with a surprise championship lead as he was elevated to second in the main race, having been only 13th and sixth in Saturday's heats. Tander completed the podium and is second in the standings.

Even before the fuel rules further complicated matters, Sunday's race had already been topsy-turvy.

A pre-race rain shower sent strategies into confusion and meant wild early battles on a slippery track, before the circuit dried for a spell prior to the downpour that caused the stoppage.

James Courtney's fortunes typified the race. Despite being spun in a tangle over first with Shane van Gisbergen and later sliding into the barrier in the slippery pit entry, he was back in the lead when the rain returned only to aquaplane into the wall moments before a safety car was called due to the conditions.

Courtney had previously been second behind commanding victor Jamie Whincup in the first of Saturday's 125km heats, then fended off the six-time champion to win the second. Whincup was among those who had to make last-gasp pitstops on Sunday and ended up 16th.

Reigning champion Mark Winterbottom had a muted start to his title defense with eighth, 11th and ninth-place finishes across the weekend. His Prodrive Racing Australia teammate Chaz Mostert marked his return to racing after being injured at Bathurst last year with pole and third place in Saturday's second race, but crashed out while in the lead battle on Sunday.

Originally on Autosport.com