Holden Racing Team star James Courtney is set to remain on the sidelines for this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Courtney has missed the last two V8 Supercars events after a bizarre pitlane incident at Sydney Motorsport Park in August that saw the driver struck by pit equipment disturbed by a low flying helicopter.
The injury was initially diagnosed as three fractured ribs and a punctured lung, before further scans last month revealed two more ribs had been damaged.
Despite positive noises from the team, the extent of the injuries ensured Courtney was widely expected to be ruled unfit for Bathurst.
“It’s not a case of just saying it’s four or six weeks to recover,” Courtney told Speedcafe.com after the second diagnosis. “It could be quite a length of time.”
Courtney has undergone two procedures to reduce the pain of the injury in recent weeks in order to assist with the healing process.
According to a News Ltd report, the HRT will officially confirm Russell Ingall’s continuation in Courtney’s drive later this morning.
Ingall stepped into the car alongside Jack Perkins at short notice ahead of the Sandown 500, performing strongly on the way to a ninth place finish.
The 51-year-old will be lining up for his 24th Bathurst start, 20 years after taking his first of two wins at the event alongside Jack’s father Larry.