Courtney, Love to race Blanchard Fords in 2024
James Courtney, rookie Aaron Love to race BRT Mustangs in 2024
BRT will expand to two cars next season
Courtney arrives from Tickford, with Love promoted from BRT's Super2 seat
James Courtney and rookie Aaron Love will race the two Blanchard Racing Team Ford Mustangs in the team’s first season as a two-car squad.
Courtney and Love had long been linked to the two BRT seats, with the team expanding to two cars for the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship.
BRT also welcomes Snowy River Caravans, which has backed Courtney since 2022. The 2010 champion will steer the #7 Snowy River Caravans Mustang.
Love, meanwhile, will make his full-time debut in the #3 CoolDrive Mustang, which is currently being raced by Todd Hazelwood.
Thursday’s news confirms Hazelwood set for a co-drive elsewhere, with the 2024 grid all but set with Cam Waters and Thomas Randle set to remain at Tickford Racing. Brad Jones Racing is also set to field an unchanged line-up.
“It’s exciting to have Aaron and James on board as we take the next step in our development as a team,” BRT Co-Principal Tim Blanchard said.
“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.”
BRT will boast a line-up of experience and youth — the Repco Bathurst 1000 was Courtney’s 550th career start, with Love making his first start.
In 19 years in Supercars, Courtney has 15 race wins and over 70 podiums, highlighted by his 2010 drivers’ title with Dick Johnson Racing.
The Penrith-born driver confirmed his departure from Tickford Racing on Tuesday, just days out from the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
“It’s great to be able to confirm my partnership with BRT and continue to work with the crew at Snowy River Caravans,” Courtney said.
“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.”
Love is no stranger to Supercars circles, debuting for BRT in the Dunlop Series this year, and winning at Mount Panorama. There, he shared a BRT wildcard with Jake Kostecki, and finished 19th.
The West Aussie driver’s Supercars career began after a successful stint in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship. In 2019, as a 17-year-old, Love became the youngest competitor in the history of the class. Last year, he claimed a total of 12 wins from 18 starts on Aussie soil before he turned his focus to Supercars.
“I’m extremely grateful and excited to be given this opportunity to continue with BRT into 2024,” Love said.
“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.”
While a key part of the CoolDrive business, BRT is bolstered by Snowy River Caravans’ arrival, with the company to back Courtney’s #7 Ford.
“It’s fantastic that Snowy River Caravans is able to continue our partnership with James and the Supercars championship with our move to BRT,” Andrew Crank, Regent Caravans CEO and Managing Director, said.
“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.”
Courtney will be on track this weekend for his penultimate round with Tickford Racing, the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500. Love will conclude his Dunlop Series campaign alongside Courtney at the VAILO Adelaide 500 next month.
