Nick Percat won a farcical Clipsal 500 lashed by wild storms, stunning the V8 Supercars field to claim his home-town race.
The 250 kilometre classic was reduced to a lottery by thunderstorms which landed just minutes before it began, with safety cars and an unprecedented race suspension just half an hour before the end.
Percat, 27, emerged victorious against the odds, giving Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport its first win in its seven-year history.
The win was Percat's first solo victory in 82 races, and the first by a South Australian at the Clipsal 500.
"This is unbelievable," the 27-year-old said.
"I've watched this since I was in a pram.
"Everyone wants to win the Clipsal 500 ... it's a feeling I'll never forget."
Fabian Coulthard and Scott Pye finished second and third but were moved down the order after failing to complete mandatory fuel drops.
Their transgressions elevated Michael Caruso and Garth Tander to the podium positions, and made Caruso a most unlikely series leader leaving the season-opening event.
While Percat's victory gave the race a cheerful conclusion, there was no hiding the confusion that clouded the event, which began and ended in farce.
Teams, organisers and broadcasters were at odds with what was happening, as race officials scrambled to react to the late-breaking storms.
The extreme heat that had baked the Adelaide street circuit gave way to ferocious storms, flooding the circuit and leading to a controlled start under a safety car.
But not everyone got the memo, with commentators, spectators and even some teams uninformed of what was going on.
Official timing began half-way into lap two and it was only then it became clear the race had begun.
Red Bull challenged the start, with team manager Mark Dutton confronting officials with the rule book to no avail.
When the safety car gave way, two hours of chaotic racing began.
Contenders Chaz Mostert and James Courtney crashed out.
Earlier, Shane Van Gisbergen bumped Courtney out of the lead while Tander turned around Jamie Whincup.
At least eight drivers had led the race, which was red flagged after 42 laps of the scheduled 78.
Scott McLaughlin was the race leader as the cars sat in pit lane, unsure of whether they would return to the field.
But the Volvo man wouldn't have won the race as he - like most in the field - had not completed his fuel drop.
It meant that when drivers returned to the track for a final five-minute flurry, they were torn between finishing on top and filling their tanks with fuel to comply with guidelines.
It allowed Percat to make a late run to the top on a most unbelievable day.
CLIPSAL 500 RACE THREE RESULTS
1. Nick Percat (Holden)
2. Michael Caruso (Nissan)
3. Garth Tander (Holden)
4. Cam Waters (Ford)
5. David Reynolds (Holden)
V8 SUPERCARS STANDINGS AFTER RACE THREE
1. Michael Caruso (Nissan) - 222
2. Garth Tander (Holden) - 202
3. Jamie Whincup (Holden) - 201
4. Shane Van Gisbergen (Holden) - 197
5. Scott McLaughlin (Volvo) - 189
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