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V8 Supercar driver James Courtney celebrates ten years since he etched his name in the record books of world motorsport by becoming the first Australian to win the World Formula A Karting Championship today.
When Courtney won the Championship he became not only the first Australian to secure the title but also only the third ever Australian to secure an official FIA World Championship alongside Formula One World Champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.
Courtney, 27, started his motorsport career at the age of seven in 1987 aboard a kart at the Lithgow kart circuit. He then went on to claim a number of titles throughout New South Wales and finished runner-up in the 1994 Australian Championship. After enduring a major disappointment at the Nationals in 1995, when his engine seized while on route to victory, Courtney turned his focus to the European scene with the Italian Tony Kart team.
“I can remember being distraught after leading by a long way and having an engine seize, about the only thing I thought would erase that disappointment would be a world championship,” said Courtney.
Later that year Courtney went on to secure victory in the five continents cup, the unofficial world title for junior drivers, at Braga in Portugal ahead of Antonio Liuzzi and Alessandro Piccolo.
“The five continents cup was basically the world title for juniors so to win that was a huge achievement against the best junior drivers in the world on a circuit which was unfamiliar to me,” added Courtney.
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“After spending a few months overseas in 1995 the following year was a big change for me. I moved to Europe on a full-time basis and was 16 years old living by myself in a unit close to the Tony Kart factory in Prevale, Italy,” said Courtney.
“The best parts about living overseas was the Italian food, my scooter which Australian engine guru Jon Targett, who was also living in Italy, had tuned up for me and being around karts all the time.
“The World Championship that year was a difficult one, I was sitting in fourth and with about ten laps to go my throttle cable broke and I had to drive the last ten laps with one hand. While I didn’t win it was an achievement just to get to the finish.”
The following year Courtney came of age in the karting ranks and was one of the front runners throughout the 1997 European season. He capped the year off with victory in the World Championships on September 14 at Salbris in Italy ahead of Japanese driver Kosuke Matsuura and Frenchman Guillaume Renaux.
“It certainly doesn’t feel like it was ten years ago that I became world champion but in saying that I’ve done a lot of things in those ten years,” said James.
“I can still remember the day like it was yesterday, I could probably talk you through just about every part of the circuit. There is no doubt it was the biggest win of my career and something I believe will be very hard to top.
“To be mentioned in the same breath as two icons in Australian motorsport, Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, is an honour. The win certainly put me on the map in the world of motorsport.”
In the ten years since his World Championship victory Courtney has excelled in almost every category of motor racing including victory in the British Formula Ford Championship and the Japanese Formula Three Title.
In 2002, Courtney was Jaguar's regular Formula One test driver in between his commitments with Carlin Motorsport in the British Formula 3 Championship. He had five race wins during the year and finished runner-up in the Championship while also securing pole position for 12 of the 14 races.
Courtney made his V8 Supercar debut at the Sandown 500 in 2005 before joining Australia’s premiere motorsport category on a full-time basis at the start of 2006. He has since recorded 23 starts in the series with his best finish being a pair of third places at the Bathurst 1000 and Oran Park Raceway last year.
Courtney will be joined in this weekend’s Just Car Insurance 500, the first endurance race of 2007, at the Sandown International Raceway by David Besnard in the #4 Jeld-Wen Motorsport Falcon.
“David and I come from a very similar background. He was racing karts in Europe just before I was and he was one of the guys I really looked up to and admired,” said Courtney.
“In my mind he is one of the most naturally gifted drivers and also is a good friend, to be able to race at Sandown and Bathurst with him is going to be pretty cool.”
Practice begins this afternoon followed by qualifying on Saturday and the 161-lap race on Sunday afternoon.