BATHURST, Australia — A shocking crash for Scott Pye headlined a bizarre end to Thursday’s practice session for the Repco Bathurst 1000 that saw Jamie Whincup top the speed charts.
On a day Triple Eight should be celebrating ending up on top of the time sheets, the team is instead set for extensive overnight repairs after Pye clouted the concrete at the Cutting.
Sharing with championship leader Will Brown, Pye slid out of control and into the wall, with the No. 87 Red Bull Ampol Chevrolet sustaining significant damage.
The final session was cut short after Pye crashed at the Cutting, putting major pressure on points leader Brown after just one day in Bathurst.
Pye, who won the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 with Brown just four weeks ago, was remorseful.
“I just made a mistake, The Cutting is tricky, I don’t know,” Pye said. “I didn’t think I was off line that much, but I just lost the rear and that it was it, it was game over.”
Whincup put his car on top by 0.0370 seconds over Triple Eight stablemate Cooper Murray, with Jayden Ojeda and Todd Hazelwood making it an Erebus Motorsport three-four result.
David Russel was fifth as 26 cars hit the track during the sesson.
Watch this weekend’s Bathurst 1000 on SPEED SPORT 1.