Courtney hints at impending BRT announcement

James Courtney’s 2024 Supercars ride is set to be confirmed this week, based on comments from the man himself.

The 2010 champion has long been linked to the Blanchard Racing Team, which is expanding to a full-time two-car operation next year.

Despite apparently flirting with a move to Matt Stone Racing, it is widely expected that Courtney will indeed line up with the Box Hill-based Ford squad next year, and news on that front would now seem imminent.

“Hopefully, before the weekend, we’ll be able to announce what’s happening next year,” said the 43-year-old today.

“But yeah, I’m loving my racing [and] I don’t want to give it up.

“So, yeah, something exciting coming in the next couple of days.”

Courtney debuted in Supercars as an enduro driver at the Walkinshaw Holden Racing Team in 2005, Marcos Ambrose’s last season in Supercars before heading to NASCAR.

He would take over Ambrose’s seat at Stone Brothers Racing in 2006 before himself becoming a champion of the category with Dick Johnson Racing.

That much was a remarkable tale given the iconic Ford squad was fighting for survival at the time, but Courtney’s subsequent, nine-year run back at Walkinshaw was also tumultuous.

In 2015, for example, he missed three events due to injury after being struck by pit hoardings which had been blown loose by a low-flying Navy helicopter as part of an activation at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Courtney made his return at Surfers Paradise, where he scored a memorable win in the Sunday race with Jack Perkins as his co-driver.

Back on the streets of the Glitter Strip for this weekend’s Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, he is out to add more silverware in what is set to be his penultimate event as a Tickford Racing driver for the foreseeable future.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of success here in the past; plenty of times on the podium and I’ve won here,” noted Courtney.

“2015 was the last time I won here, which was a few years ago now, but it was great to experience that.

“I think it was one of the last times we had the dual drivers and I managed to win it with Jack Perkins, so it was definitely a day I’ll always remember and something I’d like to replicate this weekend.”

BRT is back to one Mustang this weekend after fielding Aaron Love and Jake Kostecki in a wildcard entry in both enduros, but Love is expected to replace Todd Hazelwood next year.

Practice 1 for the Repco Supercars Championship field starts on Friday at 11:30 local time/12:00 AEDT.