James Courtney
Encyclopedia
James Courtney is an Australia
n racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar
Championship. He is the current Australian Touring Car Champion after winning the 2010 title for Dick Johnson Racing
.
Courtney has raced and was successful in several other categories, most of which are regarded as the stepping stones to Formula 1. He was World Junior Karting Champion in 1995 and world Formula A Champion in 1997. He was British Formula Ford champion in 2000 and broke the record for winning the most Formula Ford races in one season. He drove for the Jaguar
Junior Formula Three
team in 2001, impressively winning his first F3 race on his F3 debut. He was also a test driver for Jaguar's Formula One
team. Injuries from a high-speed test crash at Monza in 2002, due to failure of the rear wing on the Jaguar F1 car, led to him missing some races in that year's British Formula Three Championship
so he could not win the title - although he was easily leading it at that stage. In 2003, he was All-Japan Formula Three champion for the TOM'S
team. In 2004 and 2005 he raced in the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship for Toyota.
Courtney is managed by BTCC
/TOCA
boss Alan J. Gow
, who was instrumental in his European open-wheeler career leading to his testing role with Jaguar Racing
. He appeared in the 2007 season of Dancing with the Stars
, on the Seven Network
.
Formula One
team in Monza
in 2002, the rear suspension failed on Courtney's car, sending him into the barrier at 306 km/h. The car hit with such force that it bounced back from the wall at 70 km/h, causing Courtney to suffer an impact estimated at 67G. When he regained consciousness, he found Michael Schumacher
shouting at him, trying to translate for the Italian track marshals who could not speak English. Courtney "freaked out" when he found that he could not move the right side of his body and was bleeding from his eyes. He explained that "it took me a year to recover. I couldn't walk without getting a migraine
. Anything would set it off. Noise, light, anything."
in the endurance races with co-driving with Jim Richards
but enjoyed limited success.
to replace two time champion Marcos Ambrose
. He crashed the car on debut in Adelaide but recovered to finished third in the 2006 Bathurst 1000 and followed it up with a second place in the 2007 Bathurst 1000. On 19 July 2008 Courtney collected his first V8 Supercar
race win, taking out race one of the City of Ipswich 400 at Queensland Raceway
. He finished the year sixth in the championship.
. He was given a brand new Triple Eight Race Engineering built Ford FG Falcon and was regarded by many as a serious threat for the title. This came undone at the start of the year, with an accident marred start to the season. Courtney took wins at the new tracks, Townsville and Sydney and finish the year in seventh.
In 2010, Courtney his best season to date, with podiums at Adelaide, Melbourne GP and Hamilton, and five race wins; two each at Queensland Raceway and Winton, and one at Sandown. He won the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series, ahead of 2009 V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup. It marks the first time in 15 years that a Dick Johnson Racing entry has won the championship. In the immediate post-season however Courtney signed a deal to leave the team and join the Holden Racing Team.
, Courtney has endured limited success, taking just one race win at the 2011 Yas V8 400
. He is well behind in the points race compared to his team mate Garth Tander
.
. He has done so since driving for Stone Brothers Racing
in 2006. He is an enthusiast of quality watches, an avid cyclist, and currently drives a Range Rover
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
Championship. He is the current Australian Touring Car Champion after winning the 2010 title for Dick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest operating motor racing team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team has won seven Australian Touring Car Championship titles and has taken three victories in Australia's hallmark race, the Bathurst 1000...
.
Courtney has raced and was successful in several other categories, most of which are regarded as the stepping stones to Formula 1. He was World Junior Karting Champion in 1995 and world Formula A Champion in 1997. He was British Formula Ford champion in 2000 and broke the record for winning the most Formula Ford races in one season. He drove for the Jaguar
Jaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing...
Junior Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
team in 2001, impressively winning his first F3 race on his F3 debut. He was also a test driver for Jaguar's Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team. Injuries from a high-speed test crash at Monza in 2002, due to failure of the rear wing on the Jaguar F1 car, led to him missing some races in that year's British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
so he could not win the title - although he was easily leading it at that stage. In 2003, he was All-Japan Formula Three champion for the TOM'S
TOM'S
is a factory supported racing team and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The name stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport. Their head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. They are currently heavily involved with Super GT racing and Formula 3 racing...
team. In 2004 and 2005 he raced in the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship for Toyota.
Courtney is managed by BTCC
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
/TOCA
TOCA
ToCA are the organisers and administrators of the BTCC and the supporting series of the BTCC. The BTCC is the UK's biggest motor racing championship and one of the world's most highly respected motor racing series ....
boss Alan J. Gow
Alan J. Gow
Alan James Gow is currently the Series Director and Administrator of the British Touring Car Championship , Chairman of MSA and President of the FIA Touring Car Commission...
, who was instrumental in his European open-wheeler career leading to his testing role with Jaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing...
. He appeared in the 2007 season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
, on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
.
Jaguar F1 Testing Crash
While testing for the Jaguar RacingJaguar Racing
Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team in Monza
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....
in 2002, the rear suspension failed on Courtney's car, sending him into the barrier at 306 km/h. The car hit with such force that it bounced back from the wall at 70 km/h, causing Courtney to suffer an impact estimated at 67G. When he regained consciousness, he found Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
shouting at him, trying to translate for the Italian track marshals who could not speak English. Courtney "freaked out" when he found that he could not move the right side of his body and was bleeding from his eyes. He explained that "it took me a year to recover. I couldn't walk without getting a migraine
Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
. Anything would set it off. Noise, light, anything."
V8 Supercar
James Courtney debuted in V8 Supercars in 2005 with the Holden Racing TeamHolden Racing Team
The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times...
in the endurance races with co-driving with Jim Richards
Jim Richards (race driver)
Jim Richards is a New Zealand racing driver who has spent most of his racing life in Australia. While retired from professional racing, Richards continues to compete in the historic category Touring Car Masters while running a team in the Australian GT Championship...
but enjoyed limited success.
Stone Brothers Racing
In 2006, he joined Ford team Stone Brothers RacingStone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...
to replace two time champion Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose is a championship winning Australian racing car driver. He currently drives the #9 Stanley Black & Decker Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series...
. He crashed the car on debut in Adelaide but recovered to finished third in the 2006 Bathurst 1000 and followed it up with a second place in the 2007 Bathurst 1000. On 19 July 2008 Courtney collected his first V8 Supercar
V8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
race win, taking out race one of the City of Ipswich 400 at Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway
Queensland Raceway nicknamed "the paperclip" is a motor racing circuit located near Ipswich in Queensland, Australia.The circuit plays host to V8 Supercars, the Australian Superbike Championship, Drifting as well as club level racing and ride days....
. He finished the year sixth in the championship.
Dick Johnson Racing
In 2009, he switched to Dick Johnson RacingDick Johnson Racing
Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest operating motor racing team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team has won seven Australian Touring Car Championship titles and has taken three victories in Australia's hallmark race, the Bathurst 1000...
. He was given a brand new Triple Eight Race Engineering built Ford FG Falcon and was regarded by many as a serious threat for the title. This came undone at the start of the year, with an accident marred start to the season. Courtney took wins at the new tracks, Townsville and Sydney and finish the year in seventh.
In 2010, Courtney his best season to date, with podiums at Adelaide, Melbourne GP and Hamilton, and five race wins; two each at Queensland Raceway and Winton, and one at Sandown. He won the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series, ahead of 2009 V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup. It marks the first time in 15 years that a Dick Johnson Racing entry has won the championship. In the immediate post-season however Courtney signed a deal to leave the team and join the Holden Racing Team.
Holden Racing Team
Since joining Holden Racing TeamHolden Racing Team
The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times...
, Courtney has endured limited success, taking just one race win at the 2011 Yas V8 400
2011 Yas V8 400
The 2011 Yas V8 400 was a motor race for the Australian sedan-based V8 Supercars. It was the first race of the 2011 International V8 Supercars Championship. It was held on the weekend of 10–12 February at the Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates...
. He is well behind in the points race compared to his team mate Garth Tander
Garth Tander
Garth Tander is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver. Since 1998 Tander has been a competitor in touring car racing series V8 Supercar Championship Series. Tander was the 2007 series champion for the HSV Dealer Team and is a three-time winner in Australia's most...
.
Personal life
Courtney is married and has a daughter named Zara, and a younger son named Cadel, was born with a twin sister, and resides near the Gold Coast, QueenslandGold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. He has done so since driving for Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing
Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team...
in 2006. He is an enthusiast of quality watches, an avid cyclist, and currently drives a Range Rover
Range Rover
The Range Rover is a large luxury four-wheel drive sport utility vehicle produced by British car maker Land Rover. The model, launched in 1970, is now in its third generation...
.
Career results
| Season | Series | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | British Formula Ford Championship British Formula Ford Championship The Formula Ford Championship single seater category is a motor sport category which gives many racing drivers their first step into car racing after karting... |
5th | Van Diemen Van Diemen Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of... RF99 Ford |
|
| 2000 | British Formula Ford Championship | 1st | Van Diemen RF00 Ford | |
| 2001 2001 British Formula Three season The 2001 British Formula Three season was the 51st British Formula Three Championship season. It commenced on April 1, and ended on September 29 after twenty-six races, with Japanese driver Takuma Sato crowned champion.-Drivers and teams:... |
British Formula 3 Championship | 4th | Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... 301 Mugen-Honda |
Jaguar Junior Team Jaguar Racing Jaguar Racing was a Formula One team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2000 to 2004. It was formed from the purchase by Ford of Jackie Stewart's Stewart Grand Prix Formula One team in June 1999. Ford renamed the team Jaguar Racing as part of its global marketing... |
| 2002 2002 British Formula Three season The 2002 British Formula Three season was the 52nd British Formula Three Championship season. It commenced on March 31, and ended on September 22 after twenty-six races.-Drivers and teams:The following teams and drivers were competitors in the 2002 season... |
British Formula 3 Championship | 2nd | Dallara 302 Mugen-Honda | Carlin Motorsport Carlin Motorsport Carlin, formerly Carlin Motorsport, is a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It competes in four championships — British Formula Three Championship, GP3 Series, World Series by Renault and GP2 Series.-History:... |
| 2003 2003 Formula Nippon season The 2003 Formula Nippon season was contested over 10 rounds. 10 different teams and 21 different drivers competed. All teams had to use Lola chassis and Mugen Honda engines.-Calendar:Note:... |
Formula Nippon Championship Formula Nippon Formula Nippon is a type of formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan.Formula Nippon evolved from the Japanese Formula 2000 series begun in 1973 by way of the Japanese Formula Two and Japanese Formula 3000 championships... |
13th | Lola B3/51 Mugen-Honda | Team 5Zigen |
| 2003 | All-Japan Formula 3 Championship | 1st | Dallara 302 TOM's-Toyota | TOM'S TOM'S is a factory supported racing team and tuner of Toyota and Lexus vehicles. The name stands for Tachi Oiwa Motor Sport. Their head office is located in Tokyo, Japan. They are currently heavily involved with Super GT racing and Formula 3 racing... |
| 2004 | Japanese Super GT Series Super GT The Super GT series, formerly known as the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship or JGTC , is a grand touring car race series promoted by the GT-Association... |
13th | Toyota Supra Toyota Supra The Toyota Supra is a sports car/grand tourer that was produced by Toyota Motor Company from 1979 to 2002. The styling of the Toyota Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica, but it was both longer and wider. Starting in mid-1986, the Supra became its own model and was no longer based on the Celica... |
TOM'S |
| 2005 2005 Super GT season The 2005 Autobacs Super GT Series was the 12th season of the GT Championship in Japan including the All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship era, and the 1st season as the Super GT series. It is a series for Grand Touring cars divided into 2 classes: GT500 and GT300... |
Japanese Super GT Series | 7th | Toyota Supra | TOM'S |
| 2005 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2005 V8 Supercar season was the seventh running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 18 March 2005 in Adelaide and ended on 27 November at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit after 13 rounds.-Teams and drivers:... |
V8Supercar Championship Series V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
47th | Holden VZ Commodore | Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team The Holden Racing Team is a Melbourne based motor racing team. HRT is the most successful V8 Supercar racing team in the history of the category, having won the drivers championship six times, and the series signature race the Bathurst 1000 seven times... |
| 2006 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2006 V8 Supercar season was the 8th running of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. It began on 25 March 2006 in Adelaide and ended on 10 December at Phillip Island after 13 rounds.-Race Calendar:... |
V8Supercar Championship Series | 11th | Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon The Ford BA Falcon is a full-size car, produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia between September 2002 and October 2005. The exterior styling of the BA was a substantial revision of that used for the preceding AU model. A new independent rear suspension setup was fitted to all sedan... |
Stone Brothers Racing Stone Brothers Racing Stone Brothers Racing is an Australian motor racing team competing in the International V8 Supercars Championship, formed in 1998 by experienced New Zealand-born motorsport veterans, Ross Stone and Jim Stone after buying out their partner in their previous racing team... |
| 2007 2007 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2007 V8 Supercar season featured the ninth V8 Supercar Championship Series which began on 1 March and finished on 2 December. This championship consisted of 14 rounds covering all states and the Northern Territory of Australia as well as rounds in New Zealand and Bahrain... |
V8Supercar Championship Series | 9th | Ford BF Falcon Ford BF Falcon The Ford BF Falcon was a full-size car that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in Victoria, Australia. The BF Falcon started production in October 2005 and a MkII update was released in October 2006... |
Stone Brothers Racing |
| 2008 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 6th | Ford BF Falcon | Stone Brothers Racing |
| 2009 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series was the eleventh V8 Supercar Championship Series and the thirteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series | 7th | Ford FG Falcon Ford FG Falcon The Ford FG Falcon is a full-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia since 2008. The FG series is the current model of the Ford Falcon and is the seventh generation of the car... |
Dick Johnson Racing Dick Johnson Racing Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest operating motor racing team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team has won seven Australian Touring Car Championship titles and has taken three victories in Australia's hallmark race, the Bathurst 1000... |
| 2010 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series The 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series was an FIA sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the twelfth V8 Supercar Championship Series and the fourteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title... |
V8 Supercar Championship Series | 1st | Ford FG Falcon Ford FG Falcon The Ford FG Falcon is a full-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia since 2008. The FG series is the current model of the Ford Falcon and is the seventh generation of the car... |
Dick Johnson Racing Dick Johnson Racing Dick Johnson Racing is Australia's oldest operating motor racing team. Founded by Dick Johnson, the team has won seven Australian Touring Car Championship titles and has taken three victories in Australia's hallmark race, the Bathurst 1000... |