James Courtney is set to miss this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 after the rib injury sustained at Sydney Motorsport Park in August has failed to heal in time.
Courtney was sidelined for both the Sydney event and the Sandown 500 following the freak pitlane accident in which he was struck by flying debris sent flying by the downdraft from a Navy display helicopter.
The Holden Racing driver suffered five fractured ribs and a punctured lung in the incident.
News of Courtney’s withdrawal was revealed in Australian newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, with a source divulging: “He (Courtney) had some scans earlier this week and while they showed his ribs had begun healing, they also showed they had not healed enough for him to race.”
The Holden Racing Team is expected to officially confirm Courtney’s withdrawal at a press conference on Wednesday at 11am (AEDT) with Russell Ingall set to continue in as his replacement.
Following his surprise V8 Supercar comeback, Ingall came out of an eight month retirement to finish ninth alongside co-driver Jack Perkins in the opening Pirtek Enduro Cup event. The 2015 Bathurst 1000 will be Ingall’s 24th Great Race start, marking 20 years since the first of his two wins on the mountain alongside Jack’s father Larry Perkins.
