Oran Park was a busy time - before, during, and after the racing.

My wife Carys, daughter Zara and I travelled from the Gold Coast to
Sydney on the Monday before the final round of the V8 Supercar
Championship.

I went to Sydney early for some pre-event functions, including a Ford
dinner and a V8 Supercars breakfast in the city.

Then we had the racing at Oran Park from Friday to Sunday, followed by
the V8 Supercars Gala Awards in Sydney on Monday night.

As usual, the V8 Supercars Gala Awards was a big night. It's great to
see everyone 'dressed up' instead of wearing their usual racing suits or
team uniforms.

Carys looked fantastic in a Carla Zampatti black evening gown, with
matching shoes. The music was provided by a Bee Gees cover band, and
Carys and I did some dancing.

While on the subject of dancing, one of the guests at the awards night
was opera singer David Hobson, who I competed against in the seventh
series of Channel 7's 'Dancing With The Stars' program toward the end of
2007.

I bumped into David in the left before the function. It was good to
catch up with him again. He also sang a song at the awards.

I stayed in Sydney after the awards and then went to Melbourne later in
the week for a Stone Brothers Racing ride day at Calder Park.

The best part about Oran Park was clinching sixth place in the
championship. It was a tough weekend because we had some clutch issues
with the JELD-WEN Ford Falcon.

Going into the round I was sixth, but Steven Richards (Ford Performance
Racing) was only 10 points behind me, with Rick Kelly (HSV Racing)
another 20 points back.

I scored a 222 championship points at Oran Park, after finishing fifth
in the first race, sixth in race two, and fourth in the third race.

That left me with a series total of 2,446 points, while Kelly finished
seventh in the championship with 2,430, and Richards eighth on 2,416.

Usually I would not be too happy with finishing sixth in any
championship, because I race to win.

However, I was way back in 18th position after two rounds of the
championship, after crashes in Adelaide and at Eastern Creek, so to come
back and eventually finish sixth wasn't so bad.

Congratulations to Jamie Whincup for winning the title for the first
time. He won most rounds and most races during the year so he deserved
his success.

My highlights of 2008 were my first championship race win at Queensland
Raceway in July, and claiming pole position as fastest qualifier at the
same round.

Apart from that, other satisfying results included four round podium
finishes - for third place at Bathurst (with David Besnard), at Hamilton
in New Zealand, Sandown in Melbourne, and at Queensland Raceway.

Final championship points were (top 10): Jamie Whincup (Ford) 3,332;
Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 3,079; Garth Tander (Holden) 3,048; Craig
Lowndes (Ford) 2,871; Will Davison (Ford) 2,495; James Courtney (Ford)
2,446; Rick Kelly (Holden) 2,430; Steven Richards (Ford) 2,416; Russell
Ingall (Holden) 2,236; Steven Johnson (Ford) 2,163.

Another big aspect of the Oran Park round was the retirement of Mark
Skaife as a fulltime driver.

I was racing overseas for much of his career, but anyone who wins
Bathurst five times, and the same number of championships, is clearly
among Australia's most successful touring car drivers.

Although he is best known as a Holden driver, he was also cheered by
thousands of Ford fans during a lap of honour at Oran Park which shows
he is respected by supporters of both manufacturers.

Another notable moment for the Courtney family at Oran Park is Zara went
to her first V8 Supercar event. I put her on the seat inside my Falcon
which she seemed to enjoy.

Carys took Zara to watch the racing from the 'hill' at Oran Park. They
were with my sisters Melinda and Bec, and their partners.

After Oran Park it was announced that I would not be driving for Stone
Brothers Racing in 2009.

There will be an official announcement in the next few weeks about what
I'm doing next year, but I can't say anything at the moment. However,
the future will be exciting.

I would like to thank everyone at SBR for their support and assistance
during my time with the team during the past three years, and also the
fans for their encouragement.

Best wishes to all V8 Supercar fans for Christmas and the New Year. This
is a great time to relax and unwind with family and friends.

Please keep checking the website over the Summer months for news on my
plans for the 2009 season.

Keep smiling.

JC