Motosport: Rick Kelly holds on for Hamilton victory

Rick Kelly and his brother Todd Kelly both of the Jack Daniel's Racing Team celebrate after race five of the Hamilton 400. Photo / Getty Images

V8 Supercar driver Rick Kelly held out in a tight finish today to claim victory in a treacherous and drama-filled race one of the Hamilton 400.

Kelly, 28, fought off Craig Lowndes for the 10th victory of his career and his first since Oran Park in Sydney four years ago.

The result also made him just the third driver, after Garth Tander and Jamie Whincup, to get the chequered flag in Hamilton, although he did win at Pukekohe the last time the New Zealand round was held there in 2007.

"It's good to come to New Zealand to grab a win, that's for sure," he said.

"We've got great guys on board and they've worked really hard over the last couple of weeks. They truly deserve it."

Third was older brother Todd Kelly to make it an all-Holden podium.

There was plenty of excitement in the closing stages after the safety car came out to wipe out Rick Kelly's 11-second lead over his brother.

The restart signalled a five-lap sprint home and Lowndes pounced immediately to pass Todd Kelly, who then had battle to repel the Ford of Mark Winterbottom.

In his 100th V8 Supercars race, Winterbottom had been in front for much of the middle stages of the 59-lap contest.

However, he conceded the lead when he came in for his final pit stop with 10 laps to go, athough fourth placing means he closes the gap between him and championship leader Jamie Whincup.

After earlier showers, the race had started on a damp but drying track, but the conditions worsened with the arrival of further drizzle and then rain.

It was the wettest race in Hamilton and there was plenty of mayhem in a slippery pit lane.

Rick Kelly almost came to strife when he came in to change to wet-weather tyres.

He hit a wall and thought he was going to slam into the fence in front of him.

"Somehow I managed to sneak around and pull into pit lane - very lucky there," he said.

"I actually hit the car controller. I think he's okay. He was a bit angry."

The best of the New Zealand contingent was Fabian Coulthard, who was eighth, one place ahead of fellow Holden driver Greg Murphy.

The third New Zealander in the field, Shane Van Gisbergen, started fourth on the grid and had worked himself up to second before he had problems in pit lane as well.

He missed his mark on his first visit and then was held up on his second by a car that had spun, and eventually finished 16th.

Whincup, winner of all four races in Hamilton over the past two years, had an afternoon to forget as he came home 23rd.

He had jumped four places during the top-10 shootout to claim the 24th pole of his career, but he was slow off the line and overtaken by Rick Kelly and others at the first corner to drop to fourth.

He then hit the wall when he exited after his first pit stop and had to come back a lap later to get his steering fixed.

The second and final race is tomorrow.

- NZPA