Former Supercars champion James Courtney is confident he’ll be on the grid when the motorsport series resumes.
Courtney is without a drive after sensationally walking out on Team Sydney following this year’s season-opening Adelaide 500, amid claims he hadn’t been paid by the Jonathan Webb-led outfit.
The 2010 series champion had been in talks with a number of teams including Erebus Motorsport before the coronavirus pandemic led to racing being halted until at least June.
That situation has left Courtney’s future up in the air but the 39-year-old says his focus is very much on returning to the championship rather than pursuing opportunities elsewhere.
« It’s still the objective and the priority, » Courtney told AAP.
« It’s just a matter of us as a championship knowing what’s going and when it’s going to start.
« Then everybody else can start to plan and put things into place.
« Of course I want to stay in Supercars, it’s what I’ve done and built my whole last 15 years, or whatever it is, trying to do. »
In the interim, Courtney will join current and former Supercars drivers in the ESeries, starting next week, which aims to fill the void by holding virtual races online.
While some of his rivals are experienced at the iRacing simulation, Courtney only cut his first virtual laps earlier this week and says he’s unsure how he’ll go in the 10-week series.
« Never done it, » he said.
« I’m currently at Monza and I just went through Ascari where an F1 car tried to kill me, so it’s different playing it on a computer game that’s for sure.
« I’m sure it’s great for a computer game and for when you’re learning and trying to find where the track goes and all that sort of jazz but, for me, it’s very different to what I’m used to obviously.
« Each to their own.
« Simulators have come a long way from when I was younger and I’m having fun but I’m nowhere near knowing what I’m doing. »
https://www.espn.com/v8-supercars/story/_/id/28983577/covid-19-halts-courtney-supercars-plans
