4 minute read
The need for speed
If you’re born with the ‘need for speed’, it’s simply embedded in your DNA. One of the only legal ways to feed this need is to go racing … so that’s’ exactly what a very young Courtney Prince did.
According to Courtney, she began pestering her father to take her racing from age five. He put her off, but not for long, as the need for speed must have been a family trait. As both parents had raced go karts, they knew changing her mind was futile.
“I started go-karting when I was eight,” remembers Courtney. “I raced a Tony Kart until I was 14, steadily progressing through each age group.”
Her outsize talent was soon apparent. “I won two Australasian titles, two women’s titles and a junior sprint title, just to name a few,” she recalls. “I finally convinced Dad that Formula Ford was a good idea at 14 and completed my first full National Series when I was 15.” At 14 years, Courtney secured a Formula Ford drive with Sonic Motor Racing Services and was the youngest ever female competitor.
Courtney moved effortlessly into the new class after this solid grounding in karts. She relished the Formula’s decidedly more competitive nature, which culminates in State and National Championships.
“I did the National series, but not the State series,” Courtney says. “There are normally 25 to 30 competitors, with the top ten often within a second of each other.”
Although unable to secure a first place during her Formula Ford career, Courtney won several seconds and thirds in her memorable two-year stint with Sonic Motor Racing Services.
“We did a test day with Sonic when I started Formula Ford, and I ended up going with them,” Courtney remembers. “We were fully accepted by the Sonic family – it all started from there.” The determined 18-year-old is now moving into a Porsche 911.
“I’m starting with Porsche this year, racing the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge with Sonic again,” Courtney says.
“When deciding to go with Porsche this January, I contacted Pike Peters of Porsche Centre Brighton. After our conversation, we attended the Women With Drive ladies’ lunch at the Grand Prix together.”
That was precisely the time that the Coronavirus hit with a force that turned everything upside down, including the motor racing world. Just before the Formula One cars were ready to take to the track, the organisers called off the event. Motor racing has been in a holding pattern since.
As she’s not a girl who likes to keep still, Courtney is keeping busy training. She strongly emphasises the importance of maintaining
her weekly training sessions alongside fitness coach Heath Meldrum, a well-known SuperCar drivers’ trainer.
And that’s just her racing ambitions. Courtney also works full-time in the family excavation business, operating all machinery and working on the shovel in the landscape gardening arm.
Courtney also decided to study to become a personal trainer. Her decision to complete her Master Trainer course at the Australian Institute of Fitness will ensure she’s at her peak when racing finally reopens. Courtney’s debut in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge finished before it had started, and she’s been waiting anxiously to return to the racetrack.
“Our first race had been initially scheduled for Sydney Motorsport Park in August,” Courtney says. “This had included Phillip Island, Sandown, The Bend and Sydney Motorsport Park, with the final round at Bathurst, but obviously lockdown put an end to that.” Unfortunately, Courtney’s racing opportunities were scuttled by COVID-19. She is well-aware of the COVID-19 struggle’s serious consequences. “I support the need to isolate,” she affirms. “Though it’s disappointing that the season has been disrupted, our community’s health must be our priority.”
With three test days in her Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car so far, Courtney has relished each one.
“I’ve been able to get used to the car and get comfortable in it. It’s a great car – so much fun. After a while away from racing, I feel very ready to get started. I’ve done some gym work and test days in the car, and have spent significant time with my race engineer, Michael Ritter, going through data and footage in preparation,” she explains.
Sonic Motor Racing Services will prepare Courtney’s Porsche. They’re very experienced with the marque, having prepared Porsche racing cars since 2005. Sonic is the most successful Porsche team in the country having won eight Australian titles in both Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge,” Courtney says.
Transitioning from open-wheeler racing to a Porsche can be challenging for some drivers, as the cars behave so differently – but Courtney’s not bothered by the change.
“They’re quite different in speed, grip and downforce,” Courtney notes. “You quickly get a feel for what the car needs you to do; the engineers help you get your head around it.”
Courtney enthuses about Porsche’s structured and progressive system in place for its race drivers, both nationally and internationally. “The whole Porsche pyramid is really strong,” she says. “After starting in Australia with the Sprint Challenge and Carrera Cup, I’ll hopefully have a chance to race the Porsche Supercup in Europe.”
Courtney feels incredibly lucky to be involved with such a professional and caring company. “The whole Porsche family is a really nice, close environment to race in and be involved with,” she says. “I’m hoping we’ll be able to work closely with Porsche Centre Brighton well into the future.”
We wish Courtney every success in the next exciting stage of her promising racing career. •
