I'm feeling very positive about the rest of the V8 Supercar season after
some more encouraging results in the Jim Beam Racing Falcon at Sandown.

From now on I hope to challenge for race wins regularly, as in the past
two championship events at Townsville (July 19-21) and at Sandown (July
31-August 2).

I noticed at Sandown our team's fan-base seems to be growing. Many JBR
and Ford supporters gave me plenty of encouragement and this is
something I appreciate very much.

I had a difficult start to the year, but things have improved after
winning the second race in Townsville, and qualifying second and fourth
for the two races in North Queensland.

At Sandown I was also competitive, starting off by qualifying fourth and
finishing second in the first race.

In the second race I qualified second, and finished eighth. I felt I
should have had a better race result, but I dropped some positions when
I twice went off the track after contact with other cars.

My team-mate Steve Johnson remains fifth in the championship, so the
entire JBR team is getting some reward for the hard work they have put
in since we took delivery of our new FG Falcons.

I'm now 14th in the championship, but only 66 points behind Rick Kelly,
who is eighth.

Hopefully I can move up into the top 10 positions with some more good
results in the next round at Queensland Raceway (August 21-23).

When you change teams in the off-season, as I did, it takes a little
time to build up new relationships, but everything is now working
smoothly.

Sandown was the fourth event this year where we use a set of the
soft-option 'sprint' tyres.

The weather was much cooler than when we previously used 'sprint' tyres
in Darwin, so the optimum performance of the soft rubber lasted longer
at Sandown.

I arrived in Melbourne on the Thursday before the event, and went to a
function at Waverley Fork Lifts, a company run by JBR co-owner Charlie
Schwerkolt.

Waverley Fork Lifts supply some of the equipment used to build the
Australian Formula One Grand Prix track at Albert Park, and also the
Gold Coast street circuit where we race in October.

My FG Falcon felt quite fast and comfortable from the start of practice
on Friday. I was fourth in the two practice sessions, after we made a
few 'tweaks' to the set-up.

In the Top 10 Shoot Out I was fourth. Unfortunately I locked a front
wheel at Turn Four and understeered wide, which cost me time.

I made a good start to the first race (100km) and settled into third
behind Will Davison (Holden Racing Team) and Jamie Whincup (Team
Vodafone).

After the three of us made our compulsory pit-stops I was second, behind
Will, and that's how things stayed to the finish.

I used my 'sprint' tyres for the entire first race at Sandown. They were
not real flash at the end, but I finished second so I can't complain.

The second race (200km) was a challenge because I had to race solely on
'control' tyres and some of the others, including Holden drivers Garth
Tander and Rick Kelly, had new 'sprint' rubber.

In the first half of the race I pushed as hard as I could to stay with
the lead pack.

I had good track position after the second round of pit-stops, but any
chance of a possible top five result ended when my car made contact with
the Holdens of Tim Slade and Jason Richards.

On the Monday after Sandown I went to a lunch in Melbourne organised by
my personal sponsors JELD-WEN.

JELD-WEN have been supporting me since I came into the championship in
2006, and their logos can be seen on my race helmet from the in-car
camera in my Falcon during the Channel 7 event telecasts.

Now I'm looking forward to Queensland Raceway, which is JBR's test
track. I won pole position and the first race at the track in the 2008
championship so hopefully I can do well again.

Keep smiling.

JC

SANDOWN RESULTS - JAMES COURTNEY
EVENT 7, V8 Supercar Championship, (July 31-August-2)

Qualifying - Race 1: 4th
Top 10 Shoot Out - Race 1: 4th
Race 1 Result: 2nd
Qualifying - Race 2: 2nd
Race 2 Result: 8th

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after event 7): Jamie Whincup (Ford) 1,791; Will
Davison (Holden) 1,674; Garth Tander (Holden) 1,416; Craig Lowndes
(Ford) 1,350; Steven Johnson (Ford) 1,194; Lee Holdsworth (Holden)
1,116; Mark Winterbottom (Ford) 1,083; Rick Kelly (Holden) 992; Russell
Ingall (Holden) 989; Michael Caruso (Holden) 984. Other: James Courtney
(Ford) 926