A tribute to Courtney’s 20-year Supercars career is among a host of entertainment add-ons to the Gold Coast 500 confirmed today ahead of the October 24-26 event.
The focus on Courtney is thanks to event sponsor and long-time backer of the driver, Boost Mobile.
Courtney has affirmed he’ll pull up stumps at the end of the season, resisting offers to remain on the full-time grid – including that from his current squad the Blanchard Racing Team.
“We want to celebrate the champions and the legends that are part of the sport,” said Boost Mobile CEO Bobby Geldens.
“We want to congratulate and thank James Courtney for his amazing career at the Gold Coast 500 this year, and so we’ve got something fun planned for him and the fans at the event.
“We’ll drop some content soon. It’ll be lots of fun. Bit of fun with James, bit of fun for the fans, and we’ll get to celebrate his amazing career in pit lane come the weekend.”
Courtney, 45, is a long-time Gold Coast resident and enjoyed one of his greatest career Supercars moments at his home event 10 years ago.
He won the Sunday race in 2015 alongside friend and co-driver Jack Perkins while driving for the Holden Racing Team.
It was Courtney’s first event back following a two-month layoff due to injuries sustained when hit by debris from the downdraught of a low-flying military helicopter at Sydney Motorsport Park.
The Gold Coast win was a career-first for Perkins, who Courtney is again teamed with this year at BRT.
Although at long odds, Supercars CEO James Warburton said seeing Courtney’s trademark victory celebration – taken from Will Ferrell movie Old School – would be a dream result.
“I think we’re all hoping to see a bit of ‘Frank the Tank’ on top of the roof on either the Saturday or Sunday night,” he said.
The Gold Coast 500 takes on extra importance to Supercars this year as the first round of its new three-event Finals Series.
A week of festivities will begin with a celebration of the arrival of the 10 finalists to Cavill Avenue in Surfers Paradise on the Monday of race week.
The traditional Tedder Avenue truck parade and Cavill Avenue autograph signing sessions are set for Wednesday and Thursday respectively ahead of Friday’s start to on-track action.
Within the circuit, the event’s ‘Club 500’ has been relaunched as the Boost Mobile HQ and is being billed as an “all-ages, all-weekend precinct that fuses racing, music, and culture”.
Confirmed acts are Groove Armada (Saturday night), The Stafford Brothers and Brooke Evers (Friday night).
Other off-track offerings include The Monster Energy Compound overlooking the final corner featuring exhibitions from FMX riders.
Racing support categories consist of Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia GR Cup and Battery World Aussie Racing Cars.
Toyota’s new Gen3 Supra will also cut demo laps as part of the build-up to the manufacturers’ entry into the Supercars Championship next season.
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