Major crash wipes out almost half of the field just 10 seconds into chaotic Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 was barely 10 seconds old when the safety car was deployed for the first time on Sunday, as a major crash wiped out almost half of the field.

After torrential rain on Friday and Saturday, it was the turn of a burst water pipe to wreak havoc at Mount Panorama on an otherwise unexpectedly dry day.

The pipe spewed liquid onto Mountain Straight and down to Hell Corner shortly before the start, making for tricky conditions for the drivers and it didn’t take long for chaos to erupt.

The safety car was deployed in the first race of the Bathurst 1000 on Sunday

Jamie Whincup and Jack Perkins both spun mid-pack just as the field started their run up Mountain Straight, collecting several other cars with them.

Zak Best slammed into the concrete barrier, while Michael Caruso and Jaxon Evans both suffered collateral damage. 

‘A few cars leaning on each other at the start,’ Best told Fox Sports after he returned to the pit-lane. 

‘I just backed off, seen they were going to the right and tried to hang to the left but tagged the back of the Boost Mobile. From there I was just a passenger.’

Perkins’ co-pilot Will Brown cut a similarly disappointed figure as he watched the No9 Holden slowly make his way back into the pits. 

‘Bathurst isn’t very kind to us the last three years,’ he said.

‘It’s obviously wet out of there. I think it was just everyone crossing the water tangling together.’

Jamie Whincup (far left) spun as the field started their run up Mountain Straight

Chaos followed with several cars caught up in the crash just 10 seconds into the race

Will Brown’s car (right) had to be towed back to the pits after suffering heavy damage

Commentating on Fox Sports, Neil Crompton described the early crash as a ‘disaster’ for the drivers involved. 

‘They’ve deployed the safety car already on lap one,’ he said.

‘I’m betting we’re going to see a lot of them today.’

His prediction proved accurate as a further seven safety cars were deployed over the course of the 161-lap race, including one just five laps later after a heavy shunt wiped Zane Goodard, Dale Wood and Matt Campbell out of the race.