Race 17 suspended after Courtney crash

Sunday's first Merlin Darwin Triple Crown race has been suspended following a lap 1 crash.

Contact sent James Courtney across the Turn 5 infield; he hit a tyre barrier and skittled Scott Pye, Thomas Randle and Todd Hazelwood.

Replays showed Courtney sliding across the infield after Turn 5.

He clattered into Pye and Randle; Pye was out on the spot, while Randle made it back to pit lane.

It was the third race in 2022 to be red-flagged after Race 4 in Tasmania and Race 11 in Perth.

The Race 11 crash also featured Pye, who was sent into the pit straight wall.

Courtney and Pye alighted from their cars under their own steam.

"Up into [Turn] 5 I was on the inside and then coming out someone in front checked up and had a bit of a wobble," Courtney said.

"I got out of the gas because I was in the back of them and then someone got in the left-rear quarter.

"Just spun us off to the left and was a passenger from there.

"I don’t really know who I backed into at that point but it was pretty crazy going across.

"I was just hoping that I was going to stop before everyone else.

"Unfortunately we ended up, with the momentum we had, going all the way through."

The BP Ultimate Safety Car was deployed before the race was suspended.

The race resumed after a brief stoppage after two laps behind the Safety Car.

Cam Waters went on to win the race, which ran time certain.