Deposed V8 Supercar champion James Courtney has vowed to put his difficult 2011 behind him and make amends at the sport’s flagship Holden Racing Team (HRT).
Courtney’s big-money switch to HRT from Ford’s Jim Beam Racing turned sour as he struggled throughout his first season at the team.
He never seriously threatened to defend the title he won in 2010, with only glimpses of his best in a frustrating season in which Jamie Whincup usurped him.
But the 31-year-old is confident the season-opening Clipsal 500 will be the start of better things ahead.
Courtney admits he feels more comfortable in both his car and the team, which has undergone significant changes at the top for 2012 with ex-Formula One and NASCAR identity Steve Hallam taking over as HRT’s managing director.
“It’s knowing your group of guys you’re working with, the car, everything that’s involved. That comfort, in your environment, in your car, is the biggest plus,” Courtney told AAP.
“It’s not going to be too hard to have a better year than I did last year, that’s for sure.
“It was a tough year last year but, towards the end of last year, we got the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Courtney languished outside the top 15 at times last season, but improved significantly late in the year to make the top 10.
But he is confident – as are all at HRT – that all-conquering Team Vodafone’s Whincup and Craig Lowndes can be beaten.
“The key is keeping them under pressure. They make mistakes just like anyone else, as we saw a couple of times in my championship season,” Courtney said.
Courtney is also a huge fan of restoring the Clipsal 500 to the opening race of the season after two years in which the series started in the Middle East.
Clipsal 500 organisers are again considering a night-time race in the future, with V8 chairman Tony Cochrane set to meet South Australian government representatives at the weekend.
The idea has previously been floated to race V8s under lights on Friday and Saturday, but the estimated $10 million cost of lighting the street circuit has stopped the idea becoming a reality.
