What caused Pye to flip from Montreal lead
30 Apr 2020
Scott Pye has explained how a glitch caused his DEWALT Racing #20 to spectacularly barrel roll from the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries race lead – all on its own.
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After a 45-second penalty for cutting a kerb in the opening Montreal race ruined a top 10 qualifying effort, Pye started third for the reverse grid display.
The one-time Supercars race winner got a blistering start from the second row of the Canadian grid to blast by Joey Logano and Jack Smith and take a comfortable lead into Turn 1.
Things went awry just one corner later though, with Pye’s Commodore flipping unassisted towards the virtual crowd as cameras focused on the many incidents behind.
It left him to limp home in 24th, bemused at the sudden turn of events.
“When we started the second race at Montreal, it was looking good as I took the lead but I flipped over at Turn 2 as I was taking the apex of the corner without hitting anything,” Pye said.
“I’m enjoying it but when the game glitches like that it is frustrating because we are putting so much effort in.
“At the end of the night it is still good fun, I’m having fun streaming it and that’s what it’s all about during this time.”
Pye ran solidly in the midfield throughout the Watkins Glen races, where his teammate Mark Winterbottom nabbed an impressive eighth in the last start of the round.
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For the man known as Frosty, his highlights from the night were not so much results-orientated.
“My highlight of the night was getting [son] Oliver to do the expression session; I seem to do an expression session in every race so it was only right to put him in and light it up!” Winterbottom said.
“But it was cool to see him cut some laps and get some TV time.
“It was cool to race with Marcos Ambrose again, he’s a guy that I rate very highly and someone who helped me in my early days at Stone Brothers.”
Pye meanwhile used the expression session to give some seat time to his bulldog Basil.
Relive the best moments of the fourth round of the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries below.
PIRTEK Memorable Moments: Round 4
Race 11: Montreal
Polesitter Anton De Pasquale launches well off the line before running deep at Turn 1, opening the door for Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin.
Further back, a bunch of cars including Todd Hazelwood and Jamie Whincup fail to negotiate Turn 2.
The top three of De Pasquale, van Gisbergen and McLaughlin emerge from their respective pitstops in a tight three-way battle for the lead headed by van Gisbergen.
McLaughlin nudges van Gisbergen wide at Turn 2 and sneaks by but is forced to redress the position – and in doing so loses second place to De Pasquale, with the podium placings staying in that order.
Race 12: Montreal (reverse grid)
Carnage ensues as front-row starters Jack Smith and Joey Logano get away slowly, the latter ending up a pinball on the pit straight.
Early leader Scott Pye barrel rolls at Turn 2 and is joined in the wars by half the field moments later – including Nick Percat also being flipped onto his roof.
With the Safety Car called, the majority of drivers dive into pitlane at the end of Lap 2. Race leader Fabian Coulthard’s decision not to do so was costly, paving the way for Chaz Mostert to ultimately run away with the win.
Race 13: Watkins Glen
De Pasquale takes the immediate lead as polesitter van Gisbergen gets massive wheelspin at the start.
Race 12 podium placer Zane Goddard makes awkward contact with wildcard Angelo Mouzouris near pit entry, earning himself a stop-go penalty.
De Pasquale crucially rejoins from the pits just ahead of McLaughlin, paving the way for a victory to avenge some of his misfortune in the previous race.
Race 14: Watkins Glen (reverse grid)
Will Davison makes huge contact with the concrete barriers on the opening lap and is spat back out into a flurry of oncoming cars.
With other frontrunners including Chris Pither finding trouble, Jamie Whincup takes a narrow lead from Triple Eight Super2 teen Angelo Mouzouris.
Chaz Mostert and Zane Goddard collide going into the Bus Stop section, sending both spearing across the grass… and the Walkinshaw Andretti United Commodore takes out an unlucky De Pasquale on re-entry.
Whincup pits and emerges in the effective race lead, but Mouzouris’ decision to wait an extra lap results in him being fed back out into a tangle with Pye.
A surprised Whincup holds off Alexander Rossi to take his maiden Eseries win.
