James Courtney

James Anthony Courtney (born 29 June 1980 in Penrith, New South Wales) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar Championship. He won the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series driving for the Dick Johnson Racing Ford team. Courtney has driven for the Holden Racing Team since the 2011 season.

Courtney has raced and was successful in several other categories, most of which are regarded as the stepping stones to Formula One. He was World Junior Karting Champion in 1995 and world Formula A Champion in 1997. He was British Formula Ford champion in 2000 and broke the record for winning the most Formula Ford races in one season. He drove for the Jaguar Junior Formula Three team in 2001, impressively winning his first F3 race on his F3 debut. He was also a test driver for Jaguar's Formula One team. Injuries from a high-speed test crash at Monza in 2002, due to failure of the rear wing on the Jaguar F1 car, led to him missing some races in that year's British Formula 3 Championship so he could not win the title—although he was easily leading it at that stage. In 2003, he was All-Japan Formula Three champion for the TOM'S team. In 2004 and 2005 he raced in the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship for Toyota.

James Courtney (soldier)

James Courtney MC (15 February 1888 – 22 June 1934).

Lieutenant James Courtney was awarded the Military Cross for his marked gallantry and able leadership on 4 November 1918 at Villereau, in northern France.

Early years

James Courtney was a son of John Courtney and Ellen Kane. He was born on 15 February 1888 at Timaru, in the South Island of New Zealand. Courtney moved to Auckland and he married Elizabeth Amy Cartwright in 1911, they had one daughter, Joyce Dean Courtney, who was born in 1921.

At the time of his marriage, Courtney was a constable at the Newton Police Station in Auckland and when he was called up for service he was a farmer at Mapiu, in the King Country of the North Island.

First World War

James Courtney was a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion of the Wellington Regiment in World War I.

His first feat of gallantry in the field occurred at the beginning of July 1916, in France. No Man's Land wiring was one of the infantryman's most important and dangerous duties. Sergeant James Courtney, he was promoted to Lieutenant later, was in command of a wiring party when hostile machine gun fire was directed at them. Two men were killed and two were wounded. Courtney ordered the remainder of the party back, he himself carrying one of the wounded men. The other walked in by himself, but in ignorance of this Courtney went out again with the stretcher-bearers to find him. He found the body of one of the dead men and brought it in. Then finally he went out to search the ground to ensure no one was left in No Man's Land. All this was done under continuous heavy machine gun fire and whilst he was negotiating his own wiring.