Jelley’s West Surrey Racing-run BMW 330e M Sport was clipped by the Motorbase Performance Ford Focus ST of Dan Rowbottom as they accelerated through Clark Curve at the end of the first lap.

The contact speared Jelley into the barrier separating the track from the pitlane entry, and he was also collected by WSR BMW team-mate Adam Morgan.

Rowbottom, in turn, sustained further damage to his Ford when it was hit by the Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra of Andrew Watson.

While Rowbottom, Morgan and Watson all look likely to be out for race two, Jelley said: “There’s a 99% chance that we won’t make it for race two.

“I’d done a good first lap and gone from 17th to 12th, and I was up the inside of Jack Butel at Clearways.

“We went around Clearways together and I gave Jack room on the outside, and the car behind [Rowbottom] got a run while we were fighting.

“He’s gone for a gap that’s just disappeared on him, and the next thing I knew I was in the pitwall.

“When there’s a wall of cars in front of you and you’ve got momentum, you’ve got to lift, you can’t just accelerate into it.”

Crash, Daniel Rowbottom, NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST, Adam Morgan, Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport BMW 330e M Sport

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Rowbottom received a reprimand and two penalty points on his licence for the incident, but did appear to have a slight overlap on Jelley’s car.

“I don’t think there was any malice on the part of anyone,” he said.

“I thought there was an overlap, and we watched the onboard back and there was an overlap.

“The only way to avoid him would have been to brake bloody hard, and that could have caused an accident.

“I don’t know if he knew I was there, but I don’t have a crystal ball in the car with me.”