Asian Motor Sports

HSV Dealer Team’s Rick Kelly has taken victory in race one of the L&H 500 at Phillip Island, helped by a late-race strategy decision by two key rivals.

Kelly made a great start and jumped up to third, but then nearly threw it all away a lap later when he ran wide exiting Southern Loop, sliding on the grass before recovering to the racing surface.

Winterbottom opened a lead in the opening laps but soon found Craig Lowndes all over him, and as the laps wound down in the 14-lap event, he was joined by Kelly. On lap 11 Lowndes finally found his way through on the run out of Southern Loop, Kelly able to follow past Winterbottom.

Having finally taken the lead, Lowndes pitted, Winterbottom joining him in the pits as their teams chose to use race one to take the compulsory pitstop for their respective cars, allowing their co-drivers Whincup and Steven Richards to race from flag-to-flag in race two.

This moved Kelly into the lead, leading home a somewhat strange-looking order, with Steve Owen second ahead of Jason Bright, Fabian Coulthard and Lee Holdsworth completing the top five.

Lowndes finished 11th, just ahead of Winterbottom, with David Besnard, Paul Morris and Mark Skaife next in the order, all having taken the compulsory pitstop in race one.

Pos Driver Make Time
1. Rick Kelly Holden 22:28.2548
2. Steve Owen Ford + 4.3039
3. Jason Bright Ford + 6.0481
4. Fabian Coulthard Ford + 11.8485
5. Lee Holdsworth Holden + 12.0364
6. Cameron McConville Holden + 18.6065
7. Max Wilson Holden + 20.3454
8. Jason Bargwanna Holden + 22.3394
9. Greg Ritter Holden + 22.8568
10. Andrew Thompson Holden + 25.0057
11. Craig Lowndes Ford + 45.1425
12. Mark Winterbottom Ford + 46.1763
13. David Besnard Ford + 54.2593
14. Paul Morris Holden + 54.9914
15. Mark Skaife Holden +1:02.9314
16. Jonathon Webb Ford +1:06.4914
17. Greg Murphy Holden +1:07.3173
18. Steven Johnson Ford +1:07.5239
19. Todd Kelly Holden +1:03.3630
20. Paul Dumbrell Holden +1:05.6959
21. Nathan Pretty Holden +1:07.5559
22. Matthew Halliday Ford +1:09.0107
23. Michael Patrizi Ford +1:09.9671
24. Dale Wood Holden +1:24.5023
25. Matt Neal Holden +1:24.6506
26. Marc Hynes Ford +1:32.1183
27. Craig Baird Holden +1:39.1109

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Make Laps
Dean Canto Ford 2