Racing a family affair for GC500 rookie and youngers Supercars driver Aaron Love

He has Supercars veteran James Courtney to guide him - Aaron Love, a GC500 rookie and the competition’s youngest driver, opens up about the first time he got behind the wheel.

Supercars’ youngest driver Aaron Love has opened about his racing journey to the glamour V8s series - and revealed he first got behind the wheel aged six.

Perth-born Love, who’s father raced in the 1980s and 1990s, said his debut drive was a go-kart.

Just six years old at the time, the now 22 year old reflected: “As a family, we always went to the racing when the Supercars were in town, we went down to another racetrack in Perth a couple times just to watch a bit of racing, just as a family thing,” he said.

“It was a really close family friend of ours who kind of pushed dad to bring down my older brother to go-kart track to let him have a go and that grew into me doing the same thing.

“[We] started doing some races at the go- kart track, then it was all around WA It just snowballed into racing all around Australia, and then that grew into getting an interest for jumping into a race car.”

The Blanchard Racing Team is fielding two cars for the first time, featuring a mix of long-serving expertise and rookie enthusiasm. Supercars' youngest driver, Aaron Love, gears up for one of the biggest race weekends of the Supercars 2024 calendar. Picture Glenn Hampson

On his trajectory into the glamour Supercars circuit, he said: “I started in Formula 4 and then worked my way into Porsche, which then feeds drivers into Carrera Cup. From there, the pathway, naturally, is to go to Europe,” he said.

By 2022, he was in Europe racing in the Porsche Cup France and also racing in Super Cup, which is the leading Porsche junior category in the world.

“I eventually made the decision I wasn’t really getting the fulfilment and I wasn’t enjoying the lifestyle. I didn’t feel like I was a part of something and feel like I was growing something.”

After moving back to Australia in mid 2022, Mr Love signed a contract with Blanchard Racing before this year making his Supercars debut.

Despite a slower start to the 2024 season, The Blanchard Racing Team (BRT), competing in the Gold Coast 500 in three weeks, said races are beginning to get “more consistent”.

Mr Love who joined seasoned Supercars legend James Courtney on the BRT, said it’s been a challenging year.

“We just had a few challenges inside the team, trying to get things to run smoothly, but also just trying to get the whole team up to speed with it being such a new team,” he said.

“It’s starting to get a little bit more consistent, a little bit better over the last two or three rounds so we’re just trying to keep on building on that.”

BATHURST, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 12: (EDITORS NOTE: A polarising filter was used for this image.) Aaron Love drives the damaged Blanchard Racing Team Ford Mustang during practice for the Bathurst 1000, part of the 2024 Supercars Championship Series at Mount Panorama, on October 12, 2024 in Bathurst, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Mr Love said it wouldn’t be his first time racing the infamous concrete jungle that is the Gold Coast street track around Main Beach and Surfers Paradise.

“I’ve raced here in the Porsche Carrera Cup twice. The last time I was here is in 2022 which was a pretty good year for me,” he said.

”To be able to return is pretty exciting, we finished on a pretty high note then, so looking forward to try and continue that.

“It’s a tricky one, because all of a sudden you go into a category and you know it’s going to be challenging, but you never quite get a fully good grasp on why it’s so tough

“At the start of the year, you’re always questioning yourself, and I guess even now looking back I just needed to consistently remind myself and back myself.

“It’s a process - it’s going to have its good days, it’s going to have its bad days.”

Courtney, also a Gold Coaster, said having a younger team had been challenging but there had been a lot of growth.

“It hasn’t been easy, it’s probably been a bit harder than what we all thought but you’ve got to go through that building phase, and that’s definitely where we’re at..

“Looking to finish the year strong, so we can really hit the ground running next year,” he said.

James Courtney Bathurst 1000 2024, driver headshots

Mr Courtney said of the GC500: “Being a local lad it’s nice to be able to stay at home and watch the track grow as it is now and that excitement starts to build now, as it as it all starts to come together.

“It’s a cracking event, I think it’s definitely one of our marquee events, and it’s always so action-packed.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win it and be on the podium plenty of time so it’s definitely a good one in the memory banks,” he said.