Owen turns on Kelly.

An over ambitious overtake attempt by Steve Owen prevented Team Fujitsu's Owen Kelly from winning his third successive V8 Supercar Series race in the first race of the day at Winton Raceway.

Kelly was leading the first race and was only four laps from the finish when Steve Owen made an attempt to pass him on the inside of the tight Winton turn ten, spinning him in the process.

There was no room for it to be a success and it resulted in Steve Owen retiring and Kelly rejoining the race in seventh place. Kelly was obviously very frustrated at the move.

"I don't know what Steve (Owen) was thinking, there was no room there," Owen Kelly said. "With two more race to go we were sitting pretty, to do that half-way through the first race was ridiculous."

Although disappointed with the result Kelly was delighted with his start. Starting in fourth place Kelly out dragged those in front of him to lead the race before the first corner.

"The start was good, I planted the foot and took everyone on the outside," Kelly said. "I would consider it as was one of my better starts, but the data tells me it was nothing spectacular, I've reacted to starts faster.

"I don't know what happened to the front row, I think I caught them sleeping."