Stone Brothers Racing announce two major coups for the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series
Press Release
In a major coup, leading touring V8 Supercar team Stone Brothers Racing (SBR), today announced the signing of one of the world’s most exciting young racing car drivers, James Courtney to their team and the V8 Supercar Championship Series in 2006.
The announcement that Courtney has teamed up with SBR is coupled with news that the team has also secured a co-naming rights sponsor in JELD-WEN, inc; replacing the long and highly successful partnership with Pirtek, and joining Ford and Caltex as the major sponsors of the two-car operation.
The precociously talented James Courtney, 25, has turned his back on a lucrative racing career in Japan to return to Australia and replace current V8 Supercar Champion Marcos Ambrose in the Ford Falcon of Stone Brothers Racing.
JELD-WEN is the world’s leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors headquartered in Klamath Falls in the USA. Commencing operations in 1960 as a small Oregon millwork plant, JELD-WEN has grown into a global company with more than 150 divisions and more than 20,000 employees worldwide.
JELD-WEN was the only window or door manufacturer to be named 2003 ENERGY STAR “Partner of the Year” by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency with eight JELD-WEN product lines earning the Good Housekeeping Seal.
In Australia, JELD-WEN’s interests include the Stegbar, Corinthian, Airlite and Regency businesses, brands that are well known by Australian builders, homeowners, architects and designers for the supply of a range of quality windows, doors, showerscreens and wardrobes in every state. The sponsorship delivers an unbeatable platform for those brands to develop and strengthen key relationships with customers and suppliers in the building and construction sector.
“It is well known that supporters of the V8 Supercar series are loyal to the sport. This sponsorship gives JELD-WEN an immediate captive audience and will help to make that brand a recognisable entity in our key markets,” said Managing Director for Stegbar Mr Nigel Lapping.
“The V8 Supercar Series is broadcast to a national and international audience and gains wide coverage not only in sporting publications and television programs, but state and national newspapers, magazines and online publications and the exposure this generates for the JELD-WEN brand across a diverse audience makes this sponsorship a sound investment.”
For Courtney timing has proved everything and the signing is a coup for Stone Brothers Racing as he had been courted by many V8 Supercar Championship Series teams plus had international offers on the table.
“This last couple of weeks has been amazing as I had some incredible offers both in Japan and Australia for 2006 onwards so the pressure was really on to decide where I would go. It was only on Thursday that the decision was actually made and the contract signed,” said Courtney, a dual World Karting Champion and Jaguar Formula One test driver.
“Having raced around the world, I’m now really looking forward to racing in my own country. The timing was spot-on; the championship is great, the team is great, the car is great and it certainly ticked all the right boxes for me.
“The offer from both SBR and Ford was one that I simply couldn’t refuse. Like me, Ross and Jimmy Stone are real racers through-and-through and always produce the goods. It’s a whole new era for SBR with a new team sponsor in JELD-WEN, a brand-new car with the BF Falcon and myself as the new driver. I know that together, we can really achieve something.”
“Courtney became a priority signing for the team soon after he made his debut at the Super Cheap Auto 1000 at Bathurst earlier this month. It was during one of the early practice sessions that Jimmy (co-owner Jimmy Stone) and I were keeping a close eye on the lap times of all the drivers. Very early in the first session James’ lap times flashed up and Jimmy and I turned to each other and without saying a word we both knew that James had to be a priority signing for us,” said Stone Brothers Racing boss Ross Stone.
“To run the way he did so early at such a difficult track proved the caliber of driver he is. Marcos is a very hard driver to replace and leaves a great legacy but we believe that James can match his feats in the years to come.”
JELD-WEN has established a strong association with Stone Brothers Racing as a result of subsidiary Stegbar’s sponsorship of Marcos Ambrose and the SBR team over the past four years.
“During this time, we have established and built a relationship with SBR to produce the number one race team and driver on the V8 circuit. From a business perspective for Stegbar, we’ve leveraged the sponsorship strategically across our operations and it has proved to be a winning formula both on and off the track. The announcement of this increased level of sponsorship will play a key role in building awareness for the JELD-WEN brand here in Australia and the Asia Pacific Rim with the V8 Supercar Series delivering a presence every fortnight across these regions,” said Nigel Lapping.
“Like the JELD-WEN business, SBR is a family business that shares a like minded vision focused on winning and they don’t mind pushing the envelope to achieve that. Anyone with a focus on competing and winning would want to be aligned with Ross and Jimmy Stone and we are looking forward to working more closely with them to build on our already successful partnership.”
Lapping said the recruitment of James Courtney fitted perfectly with the company’s plans.
“I met James for the first time this week and I’ve been impressed with his young clean image, his competitive drive, modesty and humility. He is a fresh face ideally suited to launch the JELD-WEN brand in Australia and I am extremely confidant that he has the driving ability, track record and potential to go all the way to the top of the ladder in the series. I’m looking forward to watching the success of this extraordinary young man,” he said.
Equally the partnership with JELD-WEN adds another dimension to Stone Brothers Racing and the Series in that another non-traditional Motorsport company has seen the great value in backing a leading V8 Supercar team.
“Bringing JELD-WEN on board gives the team an entire new dimension, adding to our already strong and successful partnership with Caltex. JELD-WEN is a leading global company that we are very proud to have on board and we look forward to building a fantastic mutual relationship that will span many years to come,” said Ross Stone.