Red flag at Eastern Creek.

by David McCowen

Officials have abandoned the Eastern Creek 300 ten laps short of the scheduled race finish, handing KMart's Rick Kelly his first stand-alone V8 Supercar victory.

Inclement weather once more forced the hand of officials after several cars spun from the drenched circuit, handing Rick Kelly his first stand-alone V8 victory. At the final race of the 2003 season the red flag was also out due to rain at the west Sydney track.

Kelly, combined with Kiwi ace Greg Murphy, won the Bathurst 1000 last year, but round two of the 2004 V8supercar championship has seen Kelly win his first individual effort.

Craig Lowndes fought hard for second place, passing the Commodore of Tander in the nick of time before the race was abandoned.

The wet Sydney circuit spat race favourites Mark Skaife and Marcos Ambrose from the circuit several times, proving that no-one is safe from the wild elements of Australia's eastern coast.

Race result - abandoned after 67 laps.

Top ten

1 Rick Kelly Kmart racing Team Holden VY
2 Craig Lowndes Ford Performance Racing Ford BA
3 Garth Tander Valvoline Cummins Race Team Holden VY
4 Steven Richards Castrol Perkins Racing Holden VY
5 Greg Murphy Kmart racing Team Holden VY
6 Steve Johnson Shell Helix Racing Ford BA
7 Marcos Ambrose Pirtek Racing Ford BA
8 Jason Bargwanna Orrcon RacingFord BA
9 David Besnard WPS Ford BA
10 Max Wilson Team Betta Electrical Ford BA