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Rick Kelly has won Race 12 of the V8 Supercars Championship in an exciting race at Hidden Valley Raceway.
The Jack Daniel’s Racing driver came from 12th on the grid to take a stunning victory, taking advantage of a late restart crash to climb from fifth to first in one corner.
“Everyone speared off and I was lucky to get through,” Kelly told Channel Seven on the post-race podium.
“It was good to get JD up on the podium, lucky, but I’m stoked.”
Steve Johnson (Jim Beam Racing) finished second ahead of Craig Lowndes (TeamVodafone), Lee Holdsworth (Fujitsu Racing), Will Davison (Trading Post Racing), Tony D’Alberto (Wilson Security Racing), Shane van Gisbergen (SP Tools Racing), Jason Bargwanna (Jana Living Racing) Jamie Whincup (TeamVodafone) and Steve Owen (VIP Petfoods Racing).
Kelly was handed the win in dramatic fashion when race-long leader Mark Winterbottom made a slow run onto the front straight. He was swamped by Jamie Whincup, Shane van Gisbergen and Lee Holdsworth, only for the four drivers to clash, allowing Kelly and Johnson through.
Holdsworth held third for a few laps until fading tyres dropped him back off the podium.
Championship challenger Jason Bright was one of the few retirements, copping a flat tyre during the race before being collected at high speed by Stratco Racing’s David Reynolds.
Tim Slade (Lucky 7 Racing) was running a comfortable sixth before a fault saw him pull up on the side of the road, causing the controversial final Safety Car. Slade eventually got going, coming him 21st.
Paul Dumbrell (The Bottle-O Racing) raised the most eyebrows at the start of the race when he was accidentally bumped off the road by his close friend Rick Kelly. To rejoin the circuit, Dumbrell short cut the circuit considerable, rejoining the track with a huge lead.
Dumbrell readdressed his position, eventually racing to 20th.
Race 13 of the V8 Supercars Championship will be held tomorrow.
See below for audio from race winner Rick Kelly.
Rick Kelly – Saturday V8 Darwin win 2011 by speedcafe
See below for the full Race 12 result
| 1 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Rick Kelly | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:30.8593 |
| 2 | Jim Beam Racing | Steven Johnson | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:33.3710 |
| 3 | TeamVodafone | Craig Lowndes | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:35.3864 |
| 4 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Lee Holdsworth | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:36.3440 |
| 5 | Trading Post FPR Falcon | Will Davison | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:36.9235 |
| 6 | Wilson Security Racing | Tony D’Alberto | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:37.2993 |
| 7 | SP Tools Racing | Shane Van Gisbergen | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:37.5022 |
| 8 | Jana Living Racing | Jason Bargwanna | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:38.1625 |
| 9 | TeamVodafone | Jamie Whincup | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:39.3118 |
| 10 | VIP Petfoods | Steve Owen | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:43.7170 |
| 11 | Fujitsu Racing GRM | Michael Caruso | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:43.7896 |
| 12 | Pepsi Max Crew | Greg Murphy | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:43.8597 |
| 13 | Bundaberg Racing | Fabian Coulthard | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:44.3472 |
| 14 | Jim Beam Racing | James Moffat | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:44.7099 |
| 15 | Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon | Mark Winterbottom | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:46.4815 |
| 16 | Jack Daniel’s Racing | Todd Kelly | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:47.8562 |
| 17 | Triple F Racing | Dean Fiore | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:48.3943 |
| 18 | Toll Holden Racing Team | Garth Tander | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:49.2639 |
| 19 | Irwin Racing | Alex Davison | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:49.5881 |
| 20 | The Bottle-O Racing Team | Paul Dumbrell | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:53.2873 |
| 21 | Lucky 7 Racing | Tim Slade | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:53.7499 |
| 22 | Mother Energy Racing Team | Jonathon Webb | Ford Falcon FG | 42 | 54:54.0242 |
| 23 | Supercheap Auto Racing | Russell Ingall | Holden Commodore VE2 | 42 | 54:54.8928 |
| 24 | Gulf Western Oil Racing | Warren Luff | Holden Commodore VE2 | 41 | 54:50.6604 |
| 25 | Toll Holden Racing Team | James Courtney | Holden Commodore VE2 | 40 | 54:50.8643 |
| DNF | Fair Dinkum Sheds Racing | Karl Reindler | Holden Commodore VE2 | 38 | 51:13.7427 |
| DNF | Team Boc | Jason Bright | Holden Commodore VE2 | 9 | 11:00.8510 |
| DNF | Stratco Racing | David Reynolds | Holden Commodore VE2 | 9 | 11:01.9188 |
