Dunlop Series opener red-flagged after pile-up

A pile-up at the Cutting has forced an early end to Race 1 of the Dunlop Series season, with Super2 champion Kai Allen leading at the time of the stoppage.

Allen (#1 Holden) pounced on Eggleston Motorsport teammate Cooper Murray (#88 Holden) off the line, and was at the head of the queue when the race was suspended.

The bp pulse Safety Car was deployed twice, first for a stalled Callum Walker (#33 Holden), before Murray crashed out behind Allen on the restart.

On the second restart, Cameron Crick (#38 Holden) dive-bombed Zane Morse (#11 Ford) at the Cutting, with several cars piling into the left-hander unsighted.

The likes of Jett Johnson (#117 Ford), Cameron McLeod (#92 Holden), and Max Vidau (#11 Ford) all picked up significant damage, with Morse and Crick escaping.

Just seven laps were recorded in the race, which was declared when 40 minutes elapsed. At the time, Allen led Aaron Cameron (#27 Ford), Zach Bates (#25 Holden) and Rylan Gray (#55 Ford).

Bates overtook Gray at Forrest’s Elbow just after Murray clouted the wall on approach to McPhillamy Park, helping the Walkinshaw Andretti United driver into third.

The race was neutralised immediately after Walker was left behind the field when the lights went out, with the #33 Holden hamstrung by a clutch issue.

Jobe Stewart, the 2023 Super3 champion, also stalled off the line in his #99 Holden, and was forced to catch up with the queue when the first Safety Car was called.

On the restart, Allen led the field away, with Murray haunting the rear of the #1 Holden into the final corner. However, further around the lap, Murray slid into the wall on approach to McPhillamy, and pulled the damaged #88 Commodore over into the Dipper.

As cars rounded the Cutting after the second restart, Morse was turned in front of the field by Crick, with the Fords of Johnson and Vidau blocking the circuit at corner exit.

Officials threw the red flags immediately, with the rest of the field returning to pit lane and remaining there as the clock ticked down to zero.

At the time of the stoppage, Allen had recorded seven laps ahead of Cameron, Bates, Gray, Jarrod Hughes (#118 Holden), Brad Vaughan (#5 Ford), Lochie Dalton (#6 Ford), Crick, Matt Chahda (#18 Holden) and Jordyn Sinni (#54 Holden).

Dunlop Series action will resume on Sunday with Boost Mobile Qualifying at 8:35am AEDT, which sets the grid for Race 2, which starts at 1:40pm.