THE Holden Racing Team always had a special place in James Courtney’s heart – but there was a sense of reluctance about his first full-time gig with them.
Courtney opened up on various moves in his Supercars career during a bumper V8 Sleuth Podcast polished by Bowden’s Own, released yesterday.
First, there was the 2004 HRT co-drive with childhood hero Peter Brock that never eventuated.
Then a HRT enduro seat did come to be the following year, with another legend in Jim Richards.
That came with the potential for a full-time graduation in 2006…
“I remember the (2005) race at Darwin, if Todd (Kelly) didn’t perform at Darwin then he was gone and I was going to be in with (Mark) Skaife that next year,” Courtney told host Aaron Noonan.
“And then Todd won both or all three races at Darwin so then Skaife was like ‘yeah, nah, it’s not going to happen’.”
Courtney instead ended up at Stone Brothers Racing, succeeding Marcos Ambrose, for three years before spending two at Dick Johnson Racing.
The second of those at DJR produced a championship, after which Courtney finally did link with HRT full-time, taking the #1 there in 2011.
“(Brock) was a big part of why I wanted to do the HRT thing, because of the history with him being there, being always a big fan, being able to have my name up on the side with Peter’s name where it was and all that sort of stuff,” said Courtney.
“Equally as well, the only reason I could go there is because DJR released me from my contract because the team at that point was closing.
“I can’t remember if it was Dick (Johnson) or Charlie (Schwerkolt); one of them came to us and said, ‘hey look, the whole thing is over’.
“I remember when the truck, in that period when it left to go to Homebush, I remember them coming and saying to us ‘don’t leave anything in the truck because it is going to the receivers afterwards, it’s all done, so what you need, make sure you have got out of it’.
“But then obviously history tells that Steve Brabeck jumped in at the last minute and kept Dick afloat so that it didn’t get taken.
“Why would I leave? I never would have left. I was getting paid good money, won the championship, was racing with my best mates. I had no interest in leaving. The only reason I left was because there was nothing there.”
He ultimately spent nine up-and-down years at HRT, which later became Walkinshaw Racing and then Walkinshaw Andretti United.
“I so badly wanted it to be better,” Courtney said when asked why he didn’t look elsewhere sooner.
“I think the childhood memory of what it was is what kept me going… I’m a stubborn, ego-driven arsehole, really – you always believe that you can still help make it better and get there.
“I wanted it to be what it was when Brock and those guys were there, so that’s why I stayed as long as I did.”
Courtney, 43, nowadays is at Tickford Racing and will tackle next month’s Repco Bathurst 1000 with co-driver Zak Best.
