The ability to close the gap from nearly two seconds off the pace on Thursday to within two tenths of provisional pole on Friday afternoon has restored James Courtney’s confidence that the 2013 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 could belong to him, the Holden Racing Team and co-driver Greg Murphy.
Courtney languished in 13th place after his first run on green tyres on Thursday in his VF Commodore, but had improved to fourth place on the grid by Friday afternoon and locked in a place in Saturday afternoon’s ARMOR ALL Top 10 Shootout.
He has rated this year as his best chance yet to break his Bathurst duck, which now stretches to eight 1000s. A win for Murphy would be his fifth and his first in nine years.
“At the start of the week when we first ran out we were quite surprised as a team at the performance and the way the car was,” Courtney told v8supercars.com.au. “It definitely wasn’t handling the way that it was when we left the last circuit.
“We were caught out a little with all the undulation and so much more movement with car through the dips and rises and fall.
“So it took a while to get it sorted out and that spooked us a little early in the week. I think we have done a good job to get to back to within two tenths of Jamie Whincup. The first time they ran green tyres I think he did an 8.3 and we were still doing mid tens and I said to the guys ‘it’s only Thursday and we have a lot of tuning to do yet’.”
Courtney said the involvement of Murphy was crucial to the gradual improvement in the car, but also said team maturity contributed as well.
“Murph’s driving style is very much the same as mine and the feedback is great and we are able to develop the car so much quicker.
“Also, I think the team has gelled really well over the last couple of months and when something goes wrong we are not losing our heads like maybe we would have previously. Instead we are sifting through, picking out the good parts out of this and that and not getting upset. In the end we are getting the right result.
“The car was really quite good in qualifying and comfortable to drive, which is something we have struggled with massively early in the week,” he said. “It was more like the thing was trying to kill us a little bit initially. We managed to tame that out of it yet keep the speed. It’s been a lot of work but I am really quite happy where we are at the moment.”
Forecasts of showers on Sunday were not concerning Courtney.
“I’ve got ‘Lap of the Gods’ in the car and I am just a mere mortal!” he laughed, referring to Murphy’s legendary 2003 qualifying lap. “The weather is going to be a bit up and down so I couldn’t think of anyone I would rather have in the car with me.”
Murphy drove most laps in this morning’s practice session in the #22 car, posting the 25th fastest time. The sister car of Garth Tander and Nick Percat, which was bumped from the shootout at the death yesterday, will start 11th on the grid.
