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Another key piece of the Supercars silly season has been locked in with Walkinshaw Racing set to confirm the signing of Scott Pye.
The deal has been widely expected since Speedcafe.com revealed Walkinshaw’s talks with the current DJR Team Penske driver last month.
Pye moved into the driver market in June when DJRTP announced that he would be replaced by its star signing Scott McLaughlin for 2017.
Walkinshaw is expected to field Pye alongside James Courtney, who according to a recent Fairfax report, will continue to lead the team into its post-Holden Racing Team era.
As previously outlined by Speedcafe.com, Pye is a relatively proven and low-cost option for Walkinshaw as it transforms into a non-factory backed squad.
The future of current Walkinshaw driver and recent Sandown 500 winner Garth Tander meanwhile remains unclear.
Tander told a media conference at Sandown that he has “a fair idea” of what he’ll be doing in 2017, but declined to elaborate on his plans.
Speaking to the ABC on Thursday, the 39-year-old stressed that he’s chasing a minimum two-year deal to remain in Supercars.
“There’s a few options available on the table at the moment so we just need to weigh that up and see what the best option is going to be going forward,” he said.
“I’m not expecting a five-year contract or anything like that because of where I am with my age but realistically to commit to anyone whether it’s my current team or any other team you need a minimum of two years so you can get in and roll your sleeves up and get the job done.
“For me it’s about making sure we’re in a car that’s going to be competitive wherever that is that we’re racing.”
Switching to Walkinshaw meanwhile marks another twist in Pye’s rollercoaster career, which was dealt a major blow with the McLaughlin deal.
Pye currently sits 16th in a 2016 Supercars Championship campaign hit by a string of misfortunes.
He has a single pole position and two podium finishes to his name but is still hunting a first career win.
