Injured Courtney to miss finale

James Courtney will miss the V8 Supercars finale in Sydney next month due to injuries sustained in his heavy crash with Alexandre Premat at Phillip Island.

Premat speared into Courtney in race one last Saturday when he ran off track at high speed due to a puncture. The Frenchman assisted 2010 champion Courtney from his badly damaged Holden Racing Team Commodore (right of picture) afterward. Both drivers were released from the medical center following initial checks, but after further scans in Sydney on Monday, Courtney was diagnosed with a fractured tibia and a tear in his right-side quad muscle.

"It's quite painful but I'm doing all right and it's good to know what the damage is," said Courtney, who will be on crutches for six weeks. "Unfortunately, I won't be racing at the Sydney 500 " it's my hometown race and always exciting.

"Being a racer I would be out there right now if I could but it's better to get the recovery process started so I come back firing on all eight cylinders next season."

HRT's regular enduro co-driver Nick Percat will stand in for Courtney in Sydney alongside Garth Tander.