Pye: Sixth Felt Like Bathurst Win
Three drivers battled it out in the Dunlop Series last year and elevated to the V8 Supercars Championship for 2013.
Two of those drivers have claimed race wins as rookies, and were considered potential upsets for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 heading into the weekend.
But it was 23-year old Scott Pye who showed the critics what he could do and with Paul Morris, steered his Commodore to sixth in the Great Race – ahead of fellow first years Scott McLaughlin (eighth) and Chaz Mostert (21st) at the season’s biggest event – gaining 16 positions over the course of the day.
Post-race, Pye was emotional about achieving sixth in his Holden Commodore, newly coated in Sargent Security colours.
“For this little team, it feels like a win,” Pye told v8supercars.com.au.
“Obviously it was a fantastic result… We’ve had such a tough season and to get p6 is quite emotional, actually.”
The Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport driver spoke of his challenging first season, not hiding the fact his chance of being behind the wheel at Bathurst had been in doubt.
“I’ve had such a tough season, practically lost my job over and over this year – as everyone knows – but Lucas (Dumbrell, team boss) had some faith in me this weekend and kept me in the car.”
Pye has had a handful of high profile accidents this season, the biggest in Tasmania, where he plowed into a barrier at high speed and left the team with an excruciating turnaround to make the grid for the following event in New Zealand. And there was plenty of pressure to keep the car straight at Mount Panorama, as LDM did not have any spare parts over the weekend.
But Pye stood tall and achieved his best result as a main series driver by far, the closest he had come to the top 10 previously having been 11th way back at season opener, the Clipsal 500.
There has been plenty of scrutiny. But also plenty of supporters, including Triple Eight Race Engineering mastermind Roland Dane.
“RD has always… looked after me. And everyone here (at LDM) – my engineer, trainer – they all did a fantastic job.
“We had a plan at the start of the weekend, stuck to it and we’ve known this top 10 has been coming for a while.
“We’ve had some bad luck – Sandown, Winton, they were all potential top 10, especially Sandown I think – but to get it here, Bathurst is the ultimate one.”
Pye’s future in V8 Supercars is in doubt and a shift to the Porsche Carrera Cup support category – which this year harbors 2013 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 winner Steven Richards, 2011 Bathurst winner Nick Percat and respected Porsche star Craig Baird – has been suggested.
Pye’s manager Dane confirmed the category could be an option.
“We are honestly not sure at the minute. He needs to go somewhere he can show his potential,” Dane told v8supercars.com.au.
“He did a really good job in a car that is probably not optimised. He did an exemplary job to finish sixth. For most of the year people failed to recognise the predicament he is in – the team is nowhere near GRM or a DJR for instance.
“It has been very difficult for him at LDM this year and he hasn’t enjoyed it I don’t think, so we need to look at what else he can do.”
Pye said he wasn’t nervous in the car in the closing laps, but appreciated the moment and the opportunity to race the great Mount Panorama.
“That very last lap I lost about two seconds across the top because I could see the fans cheering! I knew I wouldn’t get the chance to go around again this weekend, so I slowed right down and waved to every single member of the crowd I could see.
“Hopefully I can win this race one day, but finishing sixth is like a win for me.”
Pye currently sits 25th in the Championship points and he and Morris are 15th in the running for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, to be decided at the ARMOR ALL Gold Coast 600 next weekend – tickets are still available for the big endurance finale.
