Courtney explains 'crazy' first-lap incident
James Courtney’s Race 18 hopes are in doubt after his car sustained damage in a first-lap crash.
Courtney was implicated in the dramatic pile-up which led to Race 17’s suspension.
Replays showed the #5 Snowy Rivers Caravans Mustang spearing across the Turns 5 and 6 infield.
Courtney hit the inside tyre barriers before ramming into Scott Pye’s #20 Nulon Commodore.
Courtney and Pye were out on the spot, with Thomas Randle sent into the outside barrier.
Todd Hazelwood was also involved.
The BP Ultimate Safety Car neutralised the field before red flags were flown.
Courtney and Pye alighted from their cars under their own steam, and shared their views of the incident shortly afterwards.
It came two days after Courtney suffered a crash in Friday practice.
"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."
It was the second time in 2022 that Pye had been involved in a crash which suspended a race.
Pye's car suffered major damage in Perth following a clash with Jack Le Brocq.
"On the initial contact I actually thought I’d unsighted him [Courtney] and he was sitting there," Pye said.
"I didn’t know that he had come across. I just saw a glimpse of a car at the last moment and I darted right slightly.
"I don’t know, we just can’t take a trick. I’m gutted.
"I don’t know if we’ll get back out [for Race 18], it was a big hit, there was a lot of damage to that rear-left corner."
The Merlin Darwin Triple Crown will conclude with Race 18 at 3:25pm local time.
