James Courtney: 13 things you might not know about the Australian racing driver

James Courtney has been the star of V8 Supercars since 2006.

Now a veteran of the V8 supercar series, James Courtney is a former champion and one of the most recognizable faces in the sport.

But in the recent past, he was named the best promising driver in Australia, and it seemed that at the beginning of his career he was doomed to participate in Formula 1.

He was a two-time karting world champion and moved to motor racing in the highly competitive British Formula Ford series in 1999.

He quickly rose through the ranks to become a Formula One test driver, but after a horrific accident, his career moved to Japan before Holden Racing Team gave him the opportunity to try V1 supercars for the first time in '8.

After impressing with his Bathurst 1000 debut, he became a popular player in V8 Supercars and replaced Marcos Ambrose at Stone Brother Racing for the 2006 season.

After working for Dick Johnson Racing, Holden Racing Team and Walkinshaw Andretti United, Courtney is now gearing up for her 16th season in the sport in 2022. 

Here are all the key facts you need to know about James Courtney.

How old is James Courtney?

He was born on June 29, 1980, making him 41 years old at the time of publication.

How tall is James Courtney?

His height is listed as 183 cm.

What is the net worth of James Courtney?

Kourtney is speculated to be worth over $5 million thanks to her long career. As a former Holden champion and factory driver during the company's glory days, Courtney was once one of the highest paid V8 supercar drivers. Rumor has it that the Holden Racing Team paid him over $1 million a season when they poached him out of Ford for the 2011 season.

Does James Courtney have siblings?

Yes, he has a twin sister.

Is James Courtney Married?

No. He was married to Carys Hughes for 16 years, but they divorced in 2017.

The couple have two children, Zara and Cadel.

Who is James Courtney dating?

Since the divorce, Courtney has been involved with a number of famous women. In 2020, Kourtney went public with her then-girlfriend Kylie Clarke (ex-wife of cricketer Michael Clarke) at the Bathurst 1000. The couple reportedly met as children when Kourtney competed in karting with Kylie's brother.

However, the couple broke up, and at the time of publication, Kourtney's partner was Gold Coast model and makeup artist Tegan Woodford. 

Is James Courtney on social media?

Yes, Courtney is one of the most active supercar drivers on social media. He mainly uses Instagram but also has a Twitter account. You can follow him on @jcourtney on both sites.

Have there been major accidents in James Courtney's career?

Yes, he is infamous for being involved in a major crash while testing a Jaguar Formula 1 car at the Italian Monza circuit in 2002. His car suffered suspension failure at high speed and crashed into barriers at over 300 km/h.

Michael Schumacher pulled him out of the wrecked car. He suffered a serious head injury and suffered side effects from the accident for nearly a year before fully recovering.

Who does James Courtney drive?

Courtney currently races for Tickford Racing, driving a Boost Mobile sponsored Ford Mustang. He has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the team for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Why did James Courtney leave Team Sydney?

Courtney joined the Sydney team for the 2020 season but left the team after just one round. He cited dissatisfaction with the team's plans for the season as the reason for his departure.

At the time, he told RPM Network Ten, "It was a big commitment that was made in the beginning, which was a big part of my deal," Kourtney said when asked about why he left.

“I probably left it undecided for too long because of my friendship with [team owner] John [Webb].

“After Adelaide, it became quite obvious that there would be no honor. I've had enough and I had to do what we did."

How many times has James Courtney won Bathurst?

He hasn't won Bathurst yet. But he has four podiums, including three in the first four starts.

His best finish was second in the 2007 race, when he shared a Ford Falcon from Stone Brothers Racing with David Besnard.

How many touring car championships has James Courtney won?

One of them is the 2010 Supercars '8 championship driving a Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon.

This puts him in rare company, making him one of only four riders to beat Jamie Wincapup at the peak of his career.

Has James Courtney ever driven an F1?

He drove F1 cars but never raced. In the early years of his career, Courtney was regarded as Australia's top up-and-coming driver and it looked like he was destined to enter Formula One.

After winning the British Formula Ford Championship in 2000, he was signed to Jaguar's junior team to nurture talent for the British brand's F1 team.

He became a permanent test driver for Jaguar F1 in 2001, until the accident at Monza. Following this, his youthful single-seat career was derailed by the aftermath of an accident and he moved to Japan in 2003 to race until 2006 when he joined V8 Supercars.