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However he heads into this weekend’s VAILO Adelaide 500 without a top three to his name this season amid what has been a tough first campaign with the fledgling BRT squad.
That means he has two opportunities left to both keep his own podium streak alive, and score a first podium for BRT.
There are signs of hope for the 2010 series champion, who set to the pace in the first half-hour practice session of the Adelaide weekend.
He’s not getting ahead of himself, though, admitting that a podium would feel like “winning the bloody championship” off the back of a difficult year.
“It’s a long way to call it from here,” he said. “But I have had a podium every season for 19 seasons, so yes, I would hope this weekend would be that time.
“It’s great way to start. I love this place.
“I knew it was going to be tough coming in to build a team with [team owner] Tim [Blanchard] and do all this project. I probably didn’t realise it was going to be this tough. But on the other side it’s quite rewarding as well.
So with days like today, with how the years gone, it’s, it’s good to see that… in no way are we there yet, but we’re heading in the right direction.
“It’d be amazing to have a podium this weekend. It’d be like winning the bloody championship.”
Courtney pointed to an improvement in car “feel” as the key to the early Adelaide speed.
“We’ve been struggling with the [car] being so numb throughout the whole year and not having any feel in the car,” he said.
“And straight on that first run I had a lot of feel, I could load the car and feel the tyres.”
He also revealed a cheeky exchange with Blanchard after setting the benchmark time.
“I was coming around and I saw Tim on the big screen not smiling,” said Courtney. “I knew they were scanning [my radio], so I’m like, ‘Tim, smile. It’s a good time’. Then he smiled, it was funny.”
BRT book-ended the times from Practice 1 with Aaron Love 24th fastest.
