Why James Courtney cried after Supercars podium finish
James Courtney has already won a Supercars championship, but it was his third-place finish in Perth that brought him to tears.
The 2010 champion finally ended his two-year podium drought with a spirited drive in the final sprint race at Wanneroo Raceway on Sunday.
After qualifying 13th, the 44-year-old had found himself in a position to vie for the podium when Erebus rookie Cooper Murray brought out the yellow flag in the final 20 laps of the 200km race.
Murray's Chevrolet Camaro had come to a sudden halt after a mechanical failure.
Courtney showed his experience in the Blanchard Racing Team car and overtook in-form drivers Cam Waters and Ryan Wood to follow second-placed Matt Payne to the podium.
Championship leader Broc Feeney took back-to-back victories, but his feat was largely overshadowed by fan favourite Courtney's first podium since 2023 - claimed at the same racetrack.
Courtney was driving for Tickford when he last finished in the top three. His last race win was in 2016.
Well aware it's been a long time between drinks, Courtney says his podium finish is made even more special after "head-scratching and soul-searching" following dismal bottom-five results in New Zealand.
He gifted Blanchard Racing their first podium result since the team's entry in 2021.
Courtney wasn't the only driver to break through for a milestone, with second-year racer Wood claiming his first career win earlier in the weekend.
"I couldn't have been prouder of everyone. I got so emotional," Courtney said.
"I felt like I probably looked like Woody with his first win, but it was me crying for a third.
"It's been pretty dark without the lights on for a while, but we've managed to get the headlights back up and heading in the right direction.
"It's like being an alcoholic. You have to admit that, yeah, you've got a problem before you can fix it."
Team principal Tim Blanchard was just as relieved.
"The last 12 months since going to two cars has been a real struggle," Blanchard said.
"We've had some really challenging times. At times, we question why we're doing this.
"James kept making me come back."
Confident his best hasn't left him yet, Courtney is bent on finishing his final full-time season on a high.
The western Sydney product is set for life as a real estate agent after calling time on his career last year.
He made his debut in 2005 for Holden Racing Team as a co-driver before joining full-time the following season for Stone Brothers Racing
Courtney hasn't ruled out returning to co-driving.
"Might just mic drop it and never be seen again," Courtney joked.
"To be able to hopefully finish on a high and walk away from it when you're competitive, I don't want to be that guy where everyone's quietly saying, 'You need to pack it in'.
"I can pretty comfortably take off my hat at the end of this, happy with what I've done, and don't feel that I haven't achieved or need to do anything more."
Supercars heads to Darwin next from June 20 to 22, with Feeney holding a 72-point lead over reigning champion Will Brown.
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