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Pye praises Eseries driver improvement

28 May 2020
‘Everyone is driving so much better’
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Scott Pye believes the quality of driving in the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries has improved considerably from the virtual season-opener almost two months ago.

WATCH: WHAT MADE WINTERBOTTOM'S NIGHT IN ROUND 8

What made Winterbottom's night in Eseries Round 8

The first few rounds were littered with spectacular shunts perhaps more so than close racing, but that balance has shifted towards the latter as the Eseries has gone on.

Besides a reverse grid opening lap pile-up at Interlagos, last night’s races were relatively clean and involved some excellent passages of wheel-to-wheel action, including Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen’s tussle for the lead in the finale.

Pye himself had a solid night, placing 13th at Phillip Island, a season-best seventh at Interlagos; before contact with Zane Goddard sent him tumbling to 24th in the third heat.

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“Overall it was probably the best night of racing there’s been, everyone is driving so much better and the times are close that only a little mistake will send you to the back of the pack in qualifying,” said Pye.

“I’ve made some big steps forward in my speed but too many unlucky moments tonight hampered what could have been top 10s in every race.”

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Pye’s Team 18 stablemate Mark Winterbottom had a testing night, with his “funky” strategy in the longer last race not paying off.

“I’ve raced at Interlagos before in the Brazilian Stock Car Championship so it was nice to race there again from the comfort of my home in Melbourne,” said Winterbottom.

“We tried a funky strategy and did both of our compulsory pit stops under the early Safety Car but just ran out of tyre performance towards the end of the race.”

His IRWIN Racing co-driver, wildcard James Golding, had better luck with the tactic of making both his compulsory stops by lap 4 of 20 – hanging on to a fine fourth.

“I made a few errors in the first two races but redeemed myself in the reverse grid to start ninth and finish fourth,” Golding said.

“I pitted early and had to battle when the pack caught up and had to fight on worn tyres.

“It was great to mix it up with the guys at the front and all the regular Supercar drivers, the whole field was so close and the racing was cut-throat.”

Pye and Winterbottom hold 17th and 18th in the overall standings.

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