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Chaotic start to Bathurst 1000

Three cars have been totalled and ruled out of the race in a chaotic start to the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.

The safety car was deployed twice within the opening five laps on Sunday.

James Moffat lost pole immediately off the start to a surging Lee Holdsworth and when the pack rounded turn one, Jamie Whincup and Jack Perkins were spun around.

Zak Best’s car 55 was the mountain’s first casualty and towed off the circuit after veering into the barriers.

When the race restarted on lap five, Zane Goddard left the track attempting an overtake and lost control rejoining the tarmac.

He veered across the track and was smashed into by Dale Wood in the R&J Batteries entry, with Matt Campbell joined the pile-up. All three cars were totalled.

Campbell reported a sore ankle, groin, neck and wrists while Wood and Goddard walked away unscathed.

Racing in his 20th Bathurst, 2103 champion Mark Winterbottom got tangled up and spun out but narrowly avoided any major damage in the incident.

Wood was seen crying back in pit lane after the incident, with only one of Brad Jones Racing’s cars left in the race.

Dry track conditions and fine weather prevailed as the Bathurst 1000 got under way, with the majority of teams opting for their co-drivers to begin the 1,000km race.

The only main driver among the top 10 starters was retirement-bound Holdsworth, who held the early lead.

– from AAP