James Courtney joins Blanchard Racing Team
The Blanchard Racing Team (BRT) has confirmed its driver line-up for the 2024 Supercars Championship, with 2010 series champion James Courtney (above, right) and rookie Aaron Love (above, left) joining forces for the upcoming season.
Love will step into the CoolDrive Auto Parts-backed #3 Ford Mustang, while Courtney will continue his association with Snowy River Caravans when he takes to the track in the #7 BRT entry.
BRT said the combination of Love and Courtney provides a complimentary mix of youth and experience.
“It’s exciting to have Aaron and James on board as we take the next step in our development as a team,” said team co-Principal, Tim Blanchard.
“We are thrilled to welcome James and Snowy River Caravans to BRT on a multi-year agreement. Their combined passion for the sport will compliment BRT and help us achieve our goals.
“We are also excited to watch Aaron develop as he has quickly proven himself as being one of Supercars’ hottest prospects.
“Todd Hazelwood has been an important part of the BRT story to date, we thank him for his contribution to our development in 2023, and we hope to work with him again in the future.”
Courtney brings experience earned through a 19-year career that resulted in 15 race wins and over 70 podium finishes from over 500 race starts.
“It’s great to be able to confirm my partnership with BRT and continue to work with the crew at Snowy River Caravans,” said Courtney.
“I love the family-run dynamic of the team, and they have demonstrated they are committed to make the investment it takes to be a front-running outfit.
“Pairing up with Aaron will be another exciting prospect. He is one of the rising stars of the Supercar ranks at the moment and I look forward to taking him under my wing as a mentor. I have no doubt he has the speed to really push me and the team forward.
“Tim and John (Blanchard) are racers through and through, and it’s exciting to be a part of their next chapter.”
Snowy River Caravans, which connected with Courtney in April last year, said the brand will grow at its new home in Supercars.
“It’s fantastic that Snowy River Caravans is able to continue our partnership with James and the Supercars championship with our move to BRT,” said Andrew Crank, Regent Caravans CEO and Managing Director.
“When we initially entered the sport, we found that it is a perfect fit for the Snowy River business. Motorsport fans love caravanning and adventure, which has been proven time and time again at events we have visited around the country.
“James is a champion driver and a favourite amongst fans, and he is now a proud caravanning advocate.
“Over the past 18 months, his efforts on and off track have been able to grow the brand in ways that can’t be replicated.
“We wish him and the team every success in 2024.”
Love shot to prominence in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia, where in 2019, at age 17, he became the youngest competitor in the history of the class.
In 2022, he dovetailed international commitments with a local Porsche drive, where he claimed a 12 wins from 18 starts in Australia prior to joining BRT at the start of this season.
“I’m extremely grateful and excited to be given this opportunity to continue with BRT into 2024,” said Love.
“Even though I’ve only been a part of BRT for just under a year, I’ve got a lot of confidence in them and know they’ll do everything in their power to keep building the team and strive for success. To be a part of that journey really excites me.
“Although we’ve had an up and down season so far in 2023, I think we’ve shown some really promising performances, but there is still work to do.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge to step up, but to do it with like-minded people is rare. I’m very happy to be surrounded by a team who are all working to the same objective.”
The Supercars Championship continues this weekend with the Gold Coast 500.
