Massive pileup halts Supercars race

A 12-car accident – reportedly the biggest accident in the series' history – brought out the red flag on the second lap of Saturday's opening race of the V8 Supercars round at Symmons Plains.

In wet conditions with limited visibility and heavy spray, mid-pack contact on the run to Turn 4 spun Garth Tander's Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden, causing a chaotic pileup that took out Rick Kelly, who in turn bounced back across the track and was T-boned by Will Davison. The cars immediately following, left with no time to react, piled into the wreckage. Also involved in the wreck were Tim Slade, Nick Percat, Tim Blanchard, James Moffat, Scott Pye, James Courtney, Alex Rullo, Taz Douglas and Simona De Silvestro.   

Speechless...Almost a third of the field is wiped out on the run-down to Turn 4.This is massive. Symmons Plains is a car park.#VASCpic.twitter.com/FVBlLWfXTh— Supercars (@supercars)April 8, 2017

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Davison, who T-boned Kelly after the latter bounced across the track from earlier contact, was taken to hospital with a back injury, while several other drivers were medically assessed and released.REPLAYFrom onboard@will_davisonand@jcourtney's Holdens.#VASCpic.twitter.com/hiIjaI7FWC— Supercars (@supercars)April 8, 2017

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Nick Percat explained what he experienced:

.@nickpercatshares his thoughts after the frightening Race 3 crash.#VASCpic.twitter.com/5h6RvRUqFi— Supercars (@supercars)April 8, 2017

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And Fabian Coulthard:

How did@fabiancoulthardsee that incident play out from Car 12?#VASCpic.twitter.com/YOdjMeYb1y— Supercars (@supercars)April 8, 2017

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Many cars are not expected to continue the weekend given the extensive damage.

"I think that's the last we'll ever see of that car given what we've just seen there," Nissan Motorsport's Scott Sinclair said, according to Supercars.com. "It was a case of wrong place, wrong time. No one likes to see that stuff."

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Tander believed contact between Coulthard and Rick Kelly ahead of him set off the crash, spinning him into Cameron Waters and blocking the track, creating the accordion.

"I could see something was happening with Coulthard and Rick and then I've been hit in the rear and I was sideways with the whole field coming over me," Tander said, according to Supercars.com.

"That's definitely the biggest hit in the 16 years I've been out there," Kelly told The Mercury. "I got hit a few times and then Will came barreling down obviously unable to stop and hit me on the left. My left leg is a bit sore and I think I'm very lucky not to have broken it."

The race restarted under the safety car, albeit shortened, with Shane van Gisbergen taking the win, although the series has said that no points will be awarded.