Courtney takes Ford Supercar to Oran Park

James Courtney has united modern Supercar machinery with a former long-time battleground of Australian motorsport, the fearsome Oran Park.

The 2010 Supercars champion took part in a unique media call ahead of this weekend's Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round, visiting Oran Park Town in Sydney's south-west.

Oran Park, now a suburb in the Macarthur Region of Sydney, was once the site of the legendary Oran Park Raceway, which operated between 1962 and 2010.

The circuit famously hosted the Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars Championship every year between 1971 and 2008, often as the season finale.

Notably, Oran Park was the scene of Peter Brock's pole and win at his final event in 1997, while Oran Park’s final event in 2008 doubled as Mark Skaife’s full-time appearance.

Now a residential area, Oran Park Town has honoured its racing past by naming streets after famous drivers and cars, namely Ambrose Street, Bowe Place, Dick Johnson Drive, Geoghegan Circuit, Holdsworth Street, Lowndes Drive, Moffat Street, Peter Brock Drive, Skaife Street and Tander Street.

Courtney, himself a born-and-raised Sydney star, took his #7 Snowy River Caravans Ford Mustang to Courtney Loop, which is located off Holden Drive near Holdsworth Street.

Oran Park is of great significance to Courtney; the now 44-year-old claimed his first Supercars podium finish at the circuit in 2006, years after he competed in karting at the venue.

"I spent my whole childhood out here at Oran Park, at the race track, first of all, the karting track,” he said.

“Then went to Europe and then come back to Supercars here. I was at the last ever round here. I remember it was Mark Skaife's last ever race.

"I obviously lived west of Sydney and I knew this street was here, which is pretty cool. To bring the Supercar, it's pretty neat.”

The Oran Park reunion will be one of many special stops on Courtney's farewell tour in 2025, with the Gold Coast-based driver to retire at season's end.

While he's taking it one round at a time, Courtney admitted he knows each round will be his last at any respective circuit, starting with Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend.

“Everyone's been asking what it feels like and if you're sad. To be honest, it hasn't really kicked in at any point yet,” he said.

"Once Sunday rolls around and we leave SMP, it’ll probably then register more so that it's my last ever time that I'll be there as a full-time driver.

“There's gonna be a lot of lasts this year. I'm just focused on having a great time. It's been an unbelievable journey."

Courtney will roll out at the pre-season test day at Sydney Motorsport Park on February 19, and Thrifty Sydney 500 - Opening Round on February 21-23.

Tickets for the test day and Sydney 500 - Opening Round are available now.