Courtney regains that winning feeling
JAMES Courtney is raring to win his first race in more than two years.
Courtney, 38, will rack up his 400th career race start when he hits the streets of Surfers Paradise at this weekend’s Gold Coast 600.
The Gold Coast local scored his last race win early in the 2016 championship before his team underwent an overhaul.
The Walkinshaw Andretti United alliance has finally started to hit its straps, as evident in the recent Bathurst 1000 where Courtney set a cracking pace be- fore engine failure ruined his day. Courtney qualified fifth fastest at Bathurst and was in the lead pack before codriver Jack Perkins was struck down with engine failure on lap 34.
The 2010 V8 Supercars champion is well out of contention for this year’s title, but he is determined to snap his two- year drought at his home track.
“The thing that’s been hard is the last couple of events we’ve had the speed to win, which haven’t had for quite a while throughout this year,” he said.
“I need a win. I want a win. There is no better place for it to happen.
“Last year I was criticised quite heavily for making McLaughlin work a lot harder than everyone else.
“I’m here to win. I don’t care who it is. We’ll ruffle a few feathers, get focused on next year and try to find as much car speed as we can.”
Courtney is sitting 15th in the championship standings, but said he had been buoyed by recent performances heading into the Gold Coast endurance event.
“We’ve had a couple of big components come on board over the last couple of rounds which has brought us some really good pace,” he said.