Updated April 09, 2017 17:54:18

Photo: The decision to go ahead with a late restart riled one team boss. (Supplied: Supercars Championship)

Racing driver Will Davison has been discharged from hospital after sustaining a suspected lower back fracture in what organisers say was the biggest crash in V8 Supercars history at Symmons Plains in Tasmania.

The Tekno Racing driver copped a heavy hit in yesterday's 12-car pile-up.

Race officials said the unprecedented crash caused about $2 million in damage.

Doctors said they suspected Davison had fractured his lower back and further scans would confirm or disprove that diagnosis.

His manager, David Segal, said the 34-year-old, who was in Launceston General Hospital, suffered belt trauma.

"While he is in reasonable spirits, he's had a pretty tough night and he's not feeling fabulous," he said.

"It looks like he won't be able to fly until tomorrow and from there it'll be a process of recovery."

The Holden driver's close friend, decorated V8s racer Jamie Whincup, visited him in hospital last night.

Whincup said Davison was a 50:50 chance of racing at Phillip Island in a fortnight.

"He's pretty sore and sorry. He couldn't go an hour or so without any morphine last night," he said.

"It's going to be a long week for him. He's going to need to put the feet up and the drugs in."

Crews put in a long night desperately trying to repair cars smashed up in yesterday's crash ahead of today's race.

Of the 12 cars involved, eight will return to the start line for race four, while Davison, James Courtney (Mobil 1 HSV), Rick Kelly (Nissan) and Taz Douglas (Lucas Dumbrell) have withdrawn.

The race started at 2:05pm in wet conditions similar to yesterday.

Despite yesterday's race being restarted, officials later decided to award no points.

The decision riled one team boss, Garry Rogers, who said the race should have never been restarted.

"Certain people decided to do that, why is beyond me," he said.

"Clearly the track was blocked, pit lane was blocked, it was dumb in the extreme and it was nearly dark."

Shane van Gisbergen crossed the line first behind a safety car and remains the series leader.

Shell-Ford's Fabian Coulthard took out race four and has moved up to second in the championship behind Shane van Gisbergen.

Coulthard would now be top of the table if he was not penalised 35 points for triggering the chain of events that led to yesterday's crash.

Topics: motor-sports, sport, tas

First posted April 09, 2017 13:44:27