JAMES Courtney has given an insight into the behind-the-scenes turmoil which Dick Johnson Racing defied to win the 2010 Supercars championship.
It had been 15 years since John Bowe delivered DJR’s last title, and infighting between team owners Dick Johnson and Charlie Schwerkolt had publicly boiled over.
But Courtney and his crew pressed on to defeat Jamie Whincup/Triple Eight and Mark Winterbottom/Ford Performance Racing in a dramatic decider at Homebush.
Courtney reflected on the situation as being “wild”, “pretty emotional” and “a massive distraction” when speaking on the V8 Sleuth Podcast polished by Bowden’s Own.
“The crazy thing was that, as a team, the guys on the floor – the mechanics, engineers, us as drivers – we had such a good bond and there was this brotherhood,” said the 43-year-old.
“You read stories about football teams and documentaries about that team spirit and everyone is in it for each other – it was like a movie, that’s how good the group of guys were and we were all in it for each other.
“To have all that craziness going on in the background was wild… I think the best part about that year that held everything together was (then DJR sporting director) Adrian Burgess.
“He was really good at keeping everyone focused on the end goal.
“I remember he just pulled us all together when it was all really turning to shit and just said ‘hey look, the best thing we all can do here is do the best job we can and do it for each other because the only way we’re going to get out of this is if we win this thing and we all get jobs elsewhere.
“Because otherwise this thing is going down in a steaming heap of shit. So, let’s do it for each other, do the best we can, and if we do the best we can for sure we’re all going to get jobs elsewhere’.”
That crew famously pulled together to repair the #18 Jim Beam Falcon enough, after all three title contenders crashed while trying to navigate a downpour on slick tyres, to send Courtney out for the “wobbliest lap of all time”.
“It just showed the strength in the team and the hardcore guys on the ground, that they wanted it more than the Triple Eight guys,” said Courtney.
“The only reason we won was because those guys worked harder and got my car out.”
Those scenes were in stark contrast to the disharmony Courtney was seeing at the top of tree.
“I remember at Homebush, the last round, the lift opened and it was Dick, Jill and Charlie in the lift and they weren’t all pleasantly standing there agreeing on things,” he recalled.
“That was the round we were supposed to finish it all up and at that time Charlie was trying to start the thing at FPR but didn’t have a REC and Dick wouldn’t let go of the REC…”
After nine subsequent years at the Holden Racing Team/Walkinshaw Andretti United, Courtney is now back with the Blue Oval via Tickford Racing.
MORE: Why Courtney joined and persisted with HRT
He will contest next month’s Repco Bathurst 1000 with co-driver Zak Best, and is hotly tipped to be joining fellow Ford squad Blanchard Racing Team for 2024.
