DELIVERING the Blanchard Racing Team’s first Repco Supercars Championship podium will be high on the agenda for James Courtney, but he’s also keen to keep winning off the track.
Courtney has delighted fans this year with a variety of hilarious video content, from parity parodies to his starring role in the Tickford Cup mini-series.
Next week’s VAILO Adelaide 500 marks the final round of his four-year tenure with Tickford Racing, before heading to BRT on a two-year deal.
Courtney is both hungry to get results and keen to bring a sense of fun along the way.
“That’s what gets lost a lot I suppose when you’re coming in and you’re starting out, the fun gets lost in it,” he told V8 Sleuth.
“What we do is an amazing job, an amazing way to get money, and I’m big about having that fun element, remembering how cool it is, what we do.
“That’s what I sort of have been pushing on the younger guys at Tickford the last couple of years, don’t get in your own head and stress yourself out so much. All that sort of stuff, definitely working on that with Aaron (Love, 2024 teammate).
“The Tickford Cup stuff we did was mad fun, big T-Rat (Tom Rattenbury, videographer) works with the Blanchards as well so we’re already planning some pretty fun stuff.
“The Blanchards are open to trying to build the brand and the team and the following and all that sort of stuff, so I think we will be doing quite a bit of that next year, so really looking forward to that.”
The incoming Courtney/Love combination has also already drawn comparisons with Courtney Love, the widow of the late Kurt Cobain (former Nirvana lead singer).
“I’m a big Nirvana fan, so when I first found out it was Aaron and how it was all working, that was the first thing that came to my mind,” laughed the 2010 Supercars champion.
“I’m a grunge sort of ‘90s kid so I’ll definitely be ramping that up.”
Love is competing this weekend at Taupo Motorsport Park in Round 1 of the 2023/24 New Zealand Super V8 Race Series.
