Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products-backed Walkinshaw Andretti United Supercars driver, Scott Pye has continued his consistent run in this year’s Virgin Australia Championship by finishing ninth in today’s 250km opener at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
After both he and team-mate – Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products Ambassador, James Courtney – were among the front runners during practice yesterday, qualifying saw Pye qualify 15th and Courtney alongside him on the eighth row.
In a similar trend to that which has played out during 2018, the Walkinshaw Andretti United team were able to make ground – with Pye being the one that advanced up the field, taking advantage of a strategy that brought him into the pits early for his first pitstop.
He grafted away towards the back end of the 57 lap race – being involved in a four car freight train for almost the entire last quarter of the race.
Ninth place was just desserts for a hard fought race and sees Pye sit seventh on the points table.
“It was good to be able to move up today, just a shame we couldn’t pick a few more off at the end.
“We were faster than Will (Davison), but this track is just so hard to pass with the aero wash, so it was a little frustrating.
“Tonight, we will all be focused on finding that car speed we had Friday, so we qualify higher and can have a crack during the race.”
Courtney felt as though the balance on his Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Holden wasn’t where it needed to be and he is looking ahead to tomorrow’s qualifying session and further 250km on the home of the Australian MotoGP – known as one of the hardest circuits on tyres in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.
Courtney finished the race in 17th position and now sits sixth on Championship points, however remains upbeat heading to tomorrow.
“Overall, the balance just wasn’t quite right for us today.
“We’ve got another qualifying session and 250km race tomorrow, which means a chance to move right up the order. We will put our heads down overnight and work hard as a group. I know we can turn it around.”
Hot Wheels™ Car Care Products backed Mobil 1 Boost Mobile Racing remains in second position in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship Teams Championship.
Tomorrow, all drivers will undertake a 20 minute qualifying session at 10:40am before the back end of the WD-40 Phillip Island 500 will take place over a further 57 laps at 1:50pm.
All sessions can be watched live on Fox Sports 506.
