2366 days later: Pye overwhelmed by 'unbelievable' win

After 176 starts, 2366 days, a team change and a shift to co-driving, Scott Pye is a Supercars race winner once again.

At 33, Pye ended 2023 without a full-time seat for the first time in a decade, but had already secured a plumb co-drive with Triple Eight Race Engineering.

The Triple Eight opportunity brought Pye full circle, given he challenged for the 2012 Super2 title with the team, eventually losing out to Scott McLaughlin.

It paved the way to an 11-year stint as a full-time driver, racing for Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, Dick Johnson Racing, Walkinshaw Andretti United and Team 18.

In that span, Pye claimed a single race win — under fading light at the Grand Prix with WAU — but at that time, few would have predicted he’d have to wait over six years to do it again.

For Pye, Sunday’s Penrite Oil Sandown 500 victory with Will Brown was proof he had landed in the right position to be competitive, a far cry from his final seasons at Team 18.

"My whole objective for this year is to put myself in a position where I'd have an opportunity for success in Red Bull Ampol Racing,” Pye said.

"I’ll take that every day of the week. There's no guarantee in motorsport, but this team is the best in pit lane. I'm just so grateful to be a part of it now and to tick that off the list straight away is huge. Very, very happy.

"And to have family here with me today as well is very special.”

Since moving on from the full-time stakes, Pye has taken the opportunity to expand his offering with production company One Nine Media, and has recently launched the Apex Hunters United podcast with friend and racer Elliot Barbour.

The Victorian said in the lead-up to Sandown that he had never felt more prepared to go racing, and delivered with Triple Eight at the first attempt in what proved a chaotic race.

He has since been linked to a sensational full-time return with PremiAir Nulon Racing, although Pye reiterated a comeback would have to be the right opportunity.

Pye paid tribute to Brown, who denied Broc Feeney — surviving a late-race hit from his teammate — amid a flurry of late Safety Cars to claim his first victory since Taupō in April.

"I’m stoked for Will as well he worked, he worked so hard last year to put himself here and in the best team down pit lane, and now he's rewarding them with success too,” Pye added.

"All in all, an amazing day. The car speed was great. Just my stint felt like we were running to a number and looking after the tyre, and then it was up to Will and Broc to turn and burn at the end there."