MotorSports
Jun 18, 2025
  • Motorsports News
  • Formula 1
  • IndyCar
  • NASCAR
  • Rally
  • SportsCars
  • Touring
  • WEC
Font ResizerAa
MotorSportsMotorSports
Search
  • Categories
  • Forums
  • More Foxiz
    • Blog Index
    • Sitemap
Sign In Sign In
Follow US
Made by ThemeRuby using the Foxiz theme. Powered by WordPress
Friday favorite: When Aussie alpha males thrived at HRT
Touring

Friday favorite: When Aussie alpha males thrived at HRT

By Miles Cooper October 31, 2024
SHARE
- Advertisement -

In a 30-year profession spanning Europe, Japan and Australia it takes James Courtney an impressively quick period of time to appoint Garth Tander as his favorite team-mate.

When Courtney and Dick Johnson Racing had been combating for the 2010 V8 Supercars title, behind the scenes it was something however clean crusing. Group house owners Dick Johnson and Charlie Schwerkolt had been at loggerheads and earlier than the championship showdown at Sydney Olympic Park, Courtney and his supervisor Alan Gow had a deal in place for him to affix the Holden Racing Group for 2011, a transfer confirmed the week following his coronation.

The factor was, the Walkinshaw family-owned Holden works crew already had a longtime lead driver – 2007 champion Tander. Many questioned how and if two alpha male drivers in the identical storage would get on. The reply was, and is, “very well”.

“When it was introduced that I used to be going to HRT, everybody was saying that we might not get on,” asserts Courtney, who will name time on his racing profession on the finish of subsequent season. “I keep in mind actually early on, I realised that we had the identical sense of humour, and he’s truly a very humorous, good bloke. He acts like another person when he’s on TV!

“The primary day, we had been speaking about issues like films. We appreciated the identical films, he was pulling out the film traces I used to be about then, and I assumed, ‘you might be truly an alright bloke, and never the arsehole I assumed you had been going to be!’

“There was a very good degree of respect between the 2 of us. He has had a tremendous profession and I respect what he has achieved a lot. He is an effective, laborious however honest racer.”

Friday favorite: When Aussie alpha males thrived at HRT

Courtney (proper) and Tander shared an identical style in movies and rapidly related at HRT in 2011

Photograph by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Pictures

The Courtney-Tander partnership netted no additional titles. Courtney peaked with sixth in 2014 and Tander by putting fifth in 2011. It continued till the tip of 2016, when Tander departed for Garry Rogers Motorsport. However Courtney’s respect for Tander, who retired from full-time Supercars competitors in 2018, stays sturdy at the moment.

Garth Tander’s favorite automotive:

“We had quirks with the vehicles that we like otherwise, however we did not ever argue concerning the course that the automotive ought to be moving into,” provides Courtney. “We at all times wished to steer it in the identical course.

“Even now, we type of gravitate in direction of one another. We’re about the identical age, we each have children, we now have rather a lot in frequent. He can be the man I might do Bathurst with, out of everybody.”

“There was a very good degree of respect between the 2 of us. He is an effective, laborious however honest racer” James Courtney

As for his favorite automotive, despite two big testing crashes at Monza and Silverstone in 2002, and by no means attending to drive it in a race, Courtney nonetheless has affection for the Jaguar R3-Cosworth.

“I do know it tried to kill me!” he smiles 22 years later. “It was the top; nothing has ever matched the velocity, matched the fun. If anybody stated that I may drive one automotive from my profession once more – and I may be certain it wasn’t going to interrupt! – it will be that one. It was simply mind-boggling.”

Courtney says he would pick Tander as his number one choice to race at Bathurst with

Courtney says he would decide Tander as his primary option to race at Bathurst with

Photograph by: Daniel Kalisz / Motorsport Pictures

- Advertisement --
TAGGED:alphaAussiefavouriteFridayHRTmalesthrived
Previous Article Estre: Hirakawa was ‘blocking me in all places’ in Fuji regardless of blue flags Estre: Hirakawa was ‘blocking me in all places’ in Fuji regardless of blue flags
Next Article Tips on how to flip an MX-5 Cup automotive into an oval observe machine Tips on how to flip an MX-5 Cup automotive into an oval observe machine
Leave a Comment Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


- Advertisement -
Sebastien Ogier Clinches Historic Victory at WRC Sardinia!
Sebastien Ogier Clinches Historic Victory at WRC Sardinia!
Rally
Peugeot Faces Challenges After Final Le Mans Test: “We’re Lacking Performance
Peugeot Faces Challenges After Final Le Mans Test: “We’re Lacking Performance
SportsCars
Is Kyle Kirkwood Ready to Claim the Championship After His First Oval Victory?
Is Kyle Kirkwood Ready to Claim the Championship After His First Oval Victory?
IndyCar
F1 confirms plans to race in Canada until 2035
F1 confirms plans to race in Canada until 2035
Motorsports News
Josef Newgarden’s Indy 500 race is over with 25th-place finish
Josef Newgarden’s Indy 500 race is over with 25th-place finish
IndyCar
Get Ready for the Thrill: Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day Unveiled!
Get Ready for the Thrill: Le Mans 24 Hours Test Day Unveiled!
WEC

Categories

Archives

October 2024
MTWTFSS
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031 
    Nov »

You Might Also Like

Why Toyota’s arrival is a sport changer for Supercars
Touring

Why Toyota’s arrival is a sport changer for Supercars

By Miles Cooper October 31, 2024
Supercars Finals switch-up a hit and miss? Our writers have their say
Touring

Supercars Finals switch-up a hit and miss? Our writers have their say

By Miles Cooper October 30, 2024
Excitement Builds for Thrilling Touring Car Masters Showdown!
Touring

Excitement Builds for Thrilling Touring Car Masters Showdown!

By Charlotte Adams June 11, 2025
Manthey expands to 3rd Porsche in DTM 2025 as Schuring joins
Touring

Manthey expands to 3rd Porsche in DTM 2025 as Schuring joins

By Miles Cooper January 28, 2025
Mercedes driver Gounon to replace Stolz for DTM debut at Hockenheim
Touring

Mercedes driver Gounon to replace Stolz for DTM debut at Hockenheim

By Ethan Riley April 4, 2025
PASS Releases 2024 Schedules For All Three Touring Series – Racing America
Touring

PASS Releases 2024 Schedules For All Three Touring Series – Racing America

By William Green May 10, 2025

MotorSports-News

@2024 – All Right Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?