Pye keeps door open to full-time return

Supercars

13 Sep 2024

“If an opportunity does come up and I thought it was a good thing, of course you would consider it”

2 mins by James Pavey

Scott Pye

Silly Season

PremiAir Racing

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Scott Pye keeps door open to full-time return
Pye raced full-time in Supercars between 2013 and 2023
34-year-old racing with Triple Eight in enduros

Scott Pye has kept the door open to a full-time Supercars return, but insists a comeback must be the “right” opportunity.

Pye has become the latest driver linked to PremiAir Nulon Racing, which holds the final card to the silly season.

James Golding is shored up for next season, but the seat occupied by Tim Slade remains a question mark as the team evaluates its options for 2025. All told, the Peter Xiberras-owned team is set to make a decision after Bathurst.

PremiAir Nulon Racing missed out on the signature of Brodie Kostecki, who signed with Dick Johnson Racing.

Richie Stanaway and Mark Winterbottom are both on the market after losing their drives at Grove Racing and Team 18 respectively. Anton De Pasquale was also linked to PremiAir, but ended up pushing Winterbottom out at Team 18 instead.

Pye left Team 18 last year for a plumb co-drive at Triple Eight, and did his chances of impressing Xiberras no harm in topping Practice 2 at Sandown on Friday.

Should Pye secure a sensational 2025 comeback, he would follow the likes of Stanaway and Lee Holdsworth is sealing full-time returns after a co-drive stint.

Pye, however, reiterated a move must be the “right” one following a tough stint at Team 18, saying on Friday: “For me [co-driving] is a breath of fresh air.

“There was no denying I was not in a happy place and I didn’t look forward to going to the race track anymore. So for me it’s exciting to feel happy to go back and I’m just loving being around this team.

“My thing is like, if an opportunity does come up, it would have to be the right one for me. I’m not in a position now where I am just desperate to get back in.

“If an opportunity does come up and I thought it was a good thing, of course you would consider it.”

Pye raced full-time between 2013 and 2023, at Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport (2013), Dick Johnson Racing (2014-16), Walkinshaw Andretti United (2017-19) and Team 18 (2020-23).

For now, Pye is determined to deliver for Triple Eight and championship leader Will Brown, adding: “But right now I’m very happy and Sandown and then Bathurst, for me, I’ve wanted to win that race forever.

“Sandown equally is 300 points in the championship for Will, so that’s my main focus right now.”