Scott Pye has admitted fault for his part in the Turn 1 incident which wiped out four cars, including that of pole-sitter Anton De Pasquale, at the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown.
The Team 18 driver tagged De Pasquale when the latter was hung wide at the first corner of Race 12 of the Repco Supercars Championship due to a move from Shane van Gisbergen.
The contact sent the #11 Shell V-Power Racing Team entry spinning before it was crashed into by multiple cars, including that of Pye’s team-mate, Mark Winterbottom.
Making matters even worse for the man in the #20 DeWalt machine, he had shown strong pace in practice and qualifying at Hidden Valley, and would have most likely emerged in third had the contact not happened.
Instead, Pye finished two laps down in 21st.
“Screwed up,” he responded when asked what happened.
“I misjudged it and then clipped that apex kerb and once I’d done that, it just was game over.
“I think Anton might have been playing a switchback on Shane, I think he thought Shane would have kept going.
“Once he checked up a bit more, I was committed and I couldn’t pull it up more than I already was trying.
“I’ve been down, said sorry to Anton. I think there was obviously a lot of things that caused it, but at the end of the day, I wrecked him so it was my fault, and I’ll take that.
“I feel terrible for the crew; unfortunately, I had to wait 38 laps to get out and give everyone a hug and say sorry.
“I was spending the whole time on the radio apologising because the car was a jet; I just wasted it today, so, gutted.”
Pye retreated to the pits and was twice into the lane under the Safety Car which ensued, the latter stop to have a new front bar fitted.
He was subsequently issued a pit lane penalty for a driving infringement, although that had little practical effect given he was already off the lead lap.
“It’s almost like rubbing salt in the wound for me at that point,” said the South Australian of the drive-through.
“Car is very quick; I think I went 29 [laps] before I pitted, something like that, and on my in lap we were on a 7.7, so I think the pace in the car is amazing. I just need to be in the race, not a lap down.
“All in all, these days are learning, I screwed up, I have to look at it tonight and hope I can pull my finger out and sort the driver out tomorrow and do it again, but better.”
Qualifying for Race 13 starts tomorrow at 09:15 local time/09:45 AEST.
