A KEY piece of the 2024 co-driver silly season appears to have fallen into place, before this year’s Bathurst 1000 has even been run.
V8 Sleuth understands that Scott Pye is poised to join Triple Eight as a co-driver for next year’s Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
The 33-year-old’s run as a full-time Supercars Championship driver is set to come to an end, with David Reynolds confirmed to be taking over Team 18’s #20 entry in 2024.
Pye is believed to have been head-hunted by Triple Eight to pair with its new full-time signing, Will Brown.
Jamie Whincup is currently in his second year as co-driver to Broc Feeney and has already hinted he’ll drive on in 2024.
Expected clashes between NASCAR road course races and the Supercars enduros mean it’s unlikely that Shane van Gisbergen will return.
Van Gisbergen’s current co-driver, Richie Stanaway, is already confirmed to be returning to a full-time Supercars drive with Grove Racing.
Triple Eight also has Craig Lowndes on its books for a further two years, but the veteran appears at home in the squad’s wildcard program, where he plays mentor to young drivers.
A move to Triple Eight would be a homecoming of sorts for Pye.
As part of a management deal with Triple Eight founder Roland Dane, Pye received backing from the team during his time racing junior open-wheelers in the United Kingdom.
Pye then returned to Australia and moved into Supercars with Triple Eight, driving the team’s Dunlop Series entry in 2012.
The South Australian graduated to the main game with Triple Eight customer Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport in 2013, before a move to Dick Johnson Racing led to the end of the relationship.
He’s subsequently had multi-year stints at DJR, Walkinshaw Andretti United and most recently Team 18, which was also a customer of Triple Eight until this season.
