Courtney vows to defeat ‘bad news’
JAMES Courtney last night declared his future was in the hands of his manager in his first interview since his team was rocked by Holden’s decision to dump them at the end of the year.
After Volvo ace Scott McLaughlin set the fastest time in practice at Sydney Motorsport Park to show he is not a spent force, Courtney admitted Holden’s decision to axe the Holden Racing Team (HRT) was “bad news”.
But after returning to SMP for the first time since he was injured in a freak pitlane accident, Courtney refused to discuss details of a rumoured move to either Nissan or the GT series in Japan.
“It is something for my manager to sort out,’’ Courtney said.
“The announcement was obviously bad news but my manager takes a big percentage of my money to make these decision for me. I will leave that side of the business up to him.”
Courtney said the bombshell that will cost his team more than $2 million a year was just part of the Supercars business – claiming the loss of the manufacturer was just like losing any other sponsor.
“It is something all the teams have been through,” Courtney said.
“I was at DJR when they lost Ford and SBR have been through it and more recently Prodrive with Ford. They have all managed to bounce back and so will we. It is just a part of the sport and just like losing a sponsor. Sure we are upset but we will press on and try to keep winning.”
Courtney will strap down for his first race at SMP in two years after a helicopter sent signage flying into his ribs last year in an accident that saw him sidelined until the Gold Coast 600.
“It is good being back out here,” Courtney said.
“It has been two years since I have raced here because obviously I only got in one practice session last year. It didn’t go quite so well here then so I am looking forward to racing.”
But the first day of the three-day event belonged to McLaughlin – who showed the type of speed that has been missing since his own team was rocked by a manufacturer bombshell when Volvo pulled out.
McLaughlin beat Red Bull’s Shane Van Gisbergen and reigning champion Mark Winterbottom in tricky conditions for the fastest time in practice.
“It was bit wet and the track temp dropped a bit there at the end,” he said.
“But our car was good all day and we were pretty happy with where we were at. There is some improvement but hopefully we get that for tomorrow.”
McLaughlin, who signed with DJR/Team Penske earlier this year, said he was ready to mount a championship charge following a fiveweek break.
“I am very refreshed and feeling good,” McLaughlin said.
“It was good to have a break because it was a pretty hectic time leading into it with a lot going on in my life. I watched a bit of footy and hung out at home and I am feeling good. Hopefully we can start winning some races and that is what we need to do to do move forward.”
Rick Kelly watched most of the session from the garage after a jammed throttle sent him into a wall while several drivers, including Winterbottom and Van Gisbergen had moments on the high-speed track that was being sprayed with light rain.