Courtney regains confidence after dire run

A smart Sunday in Townsville proved the tonic for James Courtney to regain confidence heading to The Bend.

Courtney arrives in Tailem Bend 11th overall, and just 67 points from 10th.

Fourth in the NTI Townsville 500 finale went unnoticed amid the final-lap clash for the lead.

It was a strong result considering Courtney’s woes at Winton, Darwin and the Townsville Saturday.

After his surprise Perth podium, Courtney headed into the Townsville Sunday with two top 10s in seven starts.

The 2010 champion had notably suffered damage at Winton and Darwin.

He converted in Race 20 with his best finish since Perth, something he cited as motivation for The Bend.

It came after Tickford secured naming rights backing from Snowy River Caravans on Courtney's car for the rest of the season.

"It was encouraging to finish Townsville the way we did," Courtney said.

"We really struggled on the Saturday but made some good changes overnight and we were much stronger on Sunday.

"Getting fourth was great for our confidence and hopefully we can carry that into this weekend."

Courtney has finished five of the last six Bend races in the top 10.

Tickford Racing teammate Cam Waters has won two of the last four races at the South Australian venue.

The circuit is again expected to favour the Mustangs, which could aid Courtney’s hopes to win his first race since 2016.

"We’ve been pretty competitive at The Bend the last couple years," Courtney added.

"Obviously Cam’s picked up a couple race wins and our cars have generally been strong there.

"We’re looking forward to getting out there and trying to bring home some more good results for the team."

Cars will hit the track at the OTR SuperSprint on Saturday. Purchase your tickets now.