FORMER Mount Gambier kart racer Scott Pye stood tall on the podium at Mount Panorama on the weekend, with a second place finish in the Supercars Bathurst 1000 endurance event.
Pye teamed up with Warren Luff in the Walkinshaw Performance Commodore and fought hard throughout the day in the treacherous conditions, ensuring a strong position when a dry line emerged late in the race.
Pye said it was a pleasing result for himself, Luff and the team after a strong showing in the endurance series.
“Bathurst is a place I have been lucky in the past, I’ve had some good results, but also some very bad luck with mechanical failures,” he said.
“That place bites pretty hard, so it was nice to get a good result on the weekend.
“It was also nice for Luffy – he drove spectacularly in the first stint on the weekend.
“He put us in the battle really.
“From the first time I got in the car we were right up there so it was a very good day from that point.
“It meant we could be aggressive and be in the fight at the end.”
Pye has finished the iconic race three times in six years, with a sixth place, a fifth and now a second.
But on Sunday the mountain threw up a curve ball, with constant rain forcing drivers to be on their toes for the entire 1000km.
Both Pye and Luff were certainly on the pace, with Pye’s last stint impressive.
Once the dry line began to emerge and slick tyres were fitted, a narrow set of “tram tracks” was all that was available to run safely on, with several drivers falling foul of those conditions.
Pye said it was a situation where you just go in with the idea of finishing with a straight car and one you can battle with.
“You don’t want to be doing something silly early in the day in a 7 ½ hour race,” he said.
“Your mindset when you get in the car, right up until the end of the race will keep it clean, keep it at the front, but you do what you have to do to keep it in the fight.
“You try and relax as much as possible where you can, because it is a long race.”
Pye said the conditions meant drivers were working hard mentally to remain focused, with no time to relax.
“It’s probably a more mentally tough race than it normally would be, because it is a very physical race in hot and dry conditions,” he said.
“When it’s wet you are never able to stop concentrating, even on the straights.
“Going up mountain straight the car is wheel spinning and moving all over the place.
“It is rare when you get a moment to relax and clear your mind.
“I think that is why quite a few people at the end of the race were making mistakes.”
The end of the race saw Pye battling for the podium, with David Reynolds out in front and Fabian Coulthard close behind, leaving no room for error.
However, Pye said he felt he had a strong car for the last 30 laps, allowing him to fight off even Shane Van Gisbergen who was slicing through the pack.
Van Gisbergen was one of those drivers who ruined his chances, running off the track trying to pass Pye.
“I was just trying to keep it cool and make sure I felt fresh,” Pye said.
“I just drove to the conditions and waited for the track to come to us and it did.
“Our car speed was really good in the end.
“I think before the second-last safety car we were in second and we were able to manage a four or five second gap to third place.
“Shane was the only real threat that came through fast.
“Even when he got to us, across the top my car was very strong.
“He had a go at me, but it had to be a big move to get us.
“He had a big crack and after he went off, other than Dave, we were pretty competitive.
“I didn’t feel I was having to stretch my legs too much to stay in second.”
In the end it was enough to claim his best finish on the mountain, which Pye said was a nice reward.
“It is nice to be able to reward the guys with a good result,” he said.
“For me, you just work hard and try to put yourself in a position where you can get a good result whenever you are on track.
“I feel if you do that, when things fall into place they will work out.
“For me, it is a reward, but more so for the guys.”
After battling for the last couple of seasons to find a permanent drive, Pye has found a new home and has a further two years of his contract to run, right when Andretti Autosports have entered the arena.
Andretti will continue its rivalry with the Penske brand – part of Dick Johnson Racing – here in Australia, which should provide Pye with the equipment he needs to prove he can run at the front of the pack on a regular basis.
Pye said he was pleased with how the situation had panned out, after some solid result with DJR, but no contract extension.
Now he said he is happy to be involved with the Walkinshaw team.
“The last couple of years have been tough in regards to wrong timing,” he said.
“I would love to have had more continuity over the past two or three years, especially with engineers – I’ve had six engineers in four years – that makes it tough to really build momentum.
“But now looking back, things always happen for a reason.
“I feel like when I joined this team there was uncertainty about where I was headed, but I feel now I am in a really good place.
“It is a very good position with Andretti Autosports joining the team and I think we will become very strong in the future.
“Going forward I feel like I have found a new family, I feel like I have proven myself a little bit and I am excited about helping this team get back to where they deserve to be.”
