Race One of Round Four of the 2009 MINI Challenge (delivered by Pizza Capers) at Sandown Motor Raceway has been marred by a spectacular rollover on the opening lap.

Sydney’s Chris Alajajian made contact with another competitor at the end of the back straight and spun sideways into the tyre barriers at high speed, barrel rolling over the tyre bundles and landing on it’s side.

“I’m OK,” mused the always philosophical young charger, “but the car isn’t that flash. I got tapped in the right rear wheel as we went into the corner, I think it’s turn six, and then I got on to the grass and everything sped up dramatically. From there I was just hanging on.”

“The Chris” had sped from position #13 to 4th when the incident happened.

With the red flags out and significant time required to recover the Standox Paints / Jack Hillermans Smash JCW the race was eventually declared a non-event and will not be re-run.

Alajajian was certainly the most spectacular exit but not the only driver to struggle on the opening lap with pole sitter and at the time leader Nathan Caratti spinning in turn one along with fellow front row starter Grant Denyer who was tapped from behind as he tried to brake for the spinning Caratti.

In a separate incident David Stillwell spun and Geoff Emery turned the #8 car around near the end of the lap.

Race Two will now become Race One, effectively, and will be contested at 2.30pm today.