Sunday, 12 July 2026

Major first lap 8-car crash leaves Macauley Jones last at Townsville

Credit: Supercars
 Macauley Jones (#96 Alpha Theta Toyota) finished last for the 12th time in his career. His finish came after he was involved in a grinding 8 car crash that ended his race without completing a single lap of the last race at Townsville. The finish came in Macca’s 251st start.

The son of Brad Jones, Macauley Jones, is in his 7th full-time season. He spent his first two years with Tim Blanchard Racing before moving to Brad Jones Racing in 2021, where he would secure a last-place championship. However, Macca would go 93 races without finishing last, and recorded no DNFs in 2023. Macauley Jones would secure a career-best finish of 5th at Symmonds Plains after qualifying 4th and leading for one lap.

Macca switched to Toyota with his team in 2026. Macca has improved this year compared to last year, getting 3 10th place finishes and currently sits 18th in the points. He was 25th in Practice 1, but improved to 18th in qualifying.

Aaron Seton (#30 Superior Cranes Chevrolet) started last.

However, a major crash at Turn 2 eliminated three drivers and damaged several more.

Andre Heimgartner (#8 R&J Batteries Toyota) spun Aaron Cameron (#3 Liqui Moly Ford).

The subsequent concertina caught three drivers.

Anton De Pasquale (#18 Cadet Club Chevrolet), Macauley Jones (#96 Alpha Theta Toyota) and Declan Fraser (#777 Nulon Chevrolet).

Jones and Cameron would retire thanks to the crash, while engine failure around the same time as the wreck eliminated Heimgartner. Macca would finish last.

Reuben Goodall (#5 MG Plaseteres Ford) suffered heavy damage, but limped back onto the track, 15 laps down. Goodall would be classified, completing 52 laps.

Other cars involved include Declan Fraser (#777 Nulon Chevrolet) who smashed the right-rear corner out of Macauley Jones’ car.

The last Brad Jones Racing car, Cameron Hill (#14 Sinopec Toyota), copped damage in the crash but continued, finishing 20th. Other victims include Rylan Grey (#38 Shell V-Power Ford), Thomas Randle (#55 Castrol Ford) and Anton De Pasquale (#18 Cadet Club Chevrolet).

At Turn 11, Cooper Murray (#99 Total Energies Chevrolet) spun James Golding (#7 Cooldrive Distribution Ford). Stewards would penalise Murray 15 seconds. Cooper Murray would work his way off the Bottom Five, finishing 19th after serving the penalty at the first pit stop.

The race settled down after the crash. Wildcard Aaron Seton (#30 Superior Cranes Chevrolet) sealed 23rd.

 

The Bottom Five

Macauley Jones

0 Laps

Crash

Aaron Cameron

1 Lap

Crash

Andre Heimgartner

1 Lap

Engine

Reuben Goodall

52 Laps

Running

Aaron Seton

67 Laps

Running

 

Driver’s Championship

Pos

Driver

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Jackson Walls

3

8

11

2

Cooper Murray

3

6

9

3

Aaron Cameron

2

4

9

4

Ryan Wood

2

3

5

5

Chaz Mostert

2

2

3

6

Jack LeBrocq

2

2

2

7

Jobe Stewart

1

8

13

8

Cameron Hill

1

3

4

9

Andre Heimgartner

1

3

3

10T

David Reynolds

1

2

3

10T

Aaron Seton

1

1

3

10T

Matt Payne

1

1

2

13

James Golding

1

1

2

14

Brodie Kostecki

1

1

1

15

Macauley Jones

0

7

8

16

Declan Fraser

0

3

5

17T

Rylan Gray

0

2

6

17T

Kai Allen

0

2

2

17T

Reuben Goodall

0

2

3

20

Zach Bates

0

1

5

21

Thomas Randle

0

1

2

22T

Broc Feeney

0

1

1

22T

Mark Winterbottom

0

1

1

24

Will Brown

0

0

2

25

Jayden Oeda

0

0

1

 


 

Team’s Championship

Pos

Driver

#

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Overdrive/RBR Racing

1

3

7

10

2

Erebus Motorsports

2

4/2

14/2

23/2

3

Walkinshaw Andretti United

2

4/2

5/2

7/2

4

Blanchard Racing Team

2

3/2

5/2

11/2

5

Matt Stone Racing

3

3/3

5/3

10/3

6

Brad Jones Racing

3

2/3

8/3

11/3

7

Grove Racing

2

1/2

3/2

3/2

8

Team 18 Racing

2

1/2

2/2

3/2

9

Dick Johnson Racing

3

1/3

4/3

8/3

10

Premair Racing

2

0

5/2

7/2

11

Tickford Racing

4

0

4/4

5/4

12

Red Bull Racing

2

0

1/2

3/2

 

Manufacturer’s Championship

Pos

Manufacturer

#

Last

Bottom 3

Bottom 5

1

Chevrolet

8

8/8

27/8

45/8

2

Toyota

5

5/5

11/5

17/5

3

Ford

11

7/13

21/13

33/13

 


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