The Red Bull Ampol Racing co-driver raised his stocks at Sandown, winning with the championship points leader Will Brown.
Pye is among a group thought to be on PremiAir Racing’s shortlist to partner James Golding in 2025.
Tim Slade’s future at the team is up in the air. His tenure was questioned earlier this year amid chat Brodie Kostecki could land there.
Slade finds himself in a similarly precarious spot at the tail end of the season but could be helped given the team failed in its quest to sign Dick Johnson Racing-bound Kostecki and its second pick Anton De Pasquale who will land at Team 18 replacing Mark Winterbottom.
Pye is thought to have thrown his hat in the ring at PremiAir but faces plenty of competition. Winterbottom and outgoing Grove Racing driver Richie Stanaway want to be full-timers too. Beyond PremiAir Racing, however, there are limited opportunities full-time.
Nevertheless, Pye is sticking to his wait-and-see approach.
Secure your spot today.
“I’ve seen a lot of different teams and how they operate… I’ve lived without it now is one thing I could say. This will be 12 months without it full-time and I survived. It’s not like it’s going to be the end of me,” Pye said after his Sunday win.
“If it ever came up and there was an opportunity, it would have to be with the right things in place. There is a lot of homework that I would be doing to make sure I make the right choice because I just want to be able to turn up to a race and have a chance of winning.
“And if that’s only two weekends a year and I believe I can do that then they’re the two I’m going to turn up to with Triple Eight.
“So that is my focus and it hasn’t changed. Winning this weekend, that hasn’t changed. Like I said, I didn’t want to come second. I’ve won one and I’ve got another one to go and hopefully I win a lot more with these guys.“
Assuming Pye did return to full-time driving duties in 2025, he would join a high-profile list of drivers cast aside who have made comebacks.
Tickford Racing outcast Lee Holdsworth famously won the 2021 Bathurst 1000 with Chaz Mostert and Walkinshaw Andretti United before being picked up by Grove Racing on a one-year swansong deal.
Andre Heimgartner lost his seat at Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport before a storming podium with Slade in the wet at the 2017 Gold Coast propelled him into a full-time return with the then-factory-backed Nissan squad Kelly Racing.
Slade was dumped by Brad Jones Racing at the end of 2019 and found his way back into the grid with the Blanchard Racing Team in 2021 after a one-off Bathurst 1000 alongside Scott McLaughlin in 2020.
In any case, should Pye want to continue co-driving, his future is safe at Triple Eight.
However, team manager Mark Dutton wouldn’t stand in the Adelaide-born driver’s way if opportunities came knocking.
“That’d be cool if we did. I wouldn’t be upset,” Dutton told Speedcafe.
“He’s super happy that he can show that he still has the level and the level is high.
“So no, if that was to happen, happy days, that’s something that we’re never disappointed with, as much as we’d love for him to keep driving with us as a co-driver.
“If that happens, high-fives all around.”
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