Jim Richards (racing driver)
| Jim Richards | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Born | 2 September 1947 Otahuhu |
| Related to | Steven Richards (son) |
| Touring Car Masters | |
| Years active | 2008–11 |
| Teams | Jim Richards Racing |
| Car no. | 2 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2010 |
| Previous series | |
| 1976–1980 1977, 1980–1995 1994–1996, 1999 1995–1999 1996 1999–2006 2001–2003 2003–2006 2009 |
Australian Sports Sedan Australian Touring Car Australian GT Production Australian Super Toruing NASCAR Australia V8 Supercar Australian Nations Cup Carrera Cup Australia Australian GT |
| Championship titles | |
| 1985 1985 1986 1987 1990 1991 1995 1996 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2010 |
Australian Touring Car Australian Endurance Champ. Australian Endurance Champ. Australian Touring Car Australian Touring Car Australian Touring Car Australian GT Production NASCAR Australia Australian GT Production Australian Nations Cup Australian Nations Cup Australian Nations Cup Carrera Cup Australia Touring Car Masters |
| Awards | |
| 2006 | V8 Supercar Hall of Fame |
Jim Richards (born 2 September 1947) is a New Zealand racing driver who has spent most of his racing life in Australia. While retired from professional racing, Richards continues to compete in the historic category Touring Car Masters while running a team in the Australian GT Championship. After seven Bathurst 1000 victories and four Australian Touring Car Championships, Richards was inducted into the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame and the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame[1] in 2006. He is the father of racing driver Steven Richards.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Richards first made his mark in Australia at the 1974 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 with a masterful display of wet weather driving during the race, recording faster lap times than any of his opposition in the latter part of the event while driving a Torana L34 which finished in third place.
In mid-1975 Richards moved to Australia and was quickly competitive in sports sedan races driving his Sidchrome-sponsored Mustang. He was co-driver for John Goss in 1976 at Bathurst. Then in 1978 Richards began a successful stint at the Holden Dealer Team as Peter Brock's co-driver at Bathurst, netting Richards three Bathurst 1000 titles in a row.
Jim Richards was Australian Touring Car Champion in 1985 and 1987, driving elegant black and gold JPS-sponsored BMWs, a 635CSi and an M3 respectively; in 1990 driving both Nissan Skyline R31 GTS-R and Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R and again in 1991 driving the 4WD Skyline GT-R, affectionately known as "Godzilla".
His other Australian title wins were:
- 1985 Australian Endurance Championship in a BMW 635CSi
- 1985 AMSCAR Series in a BMW 635CSi
- 1986 Australian Endurance Championship in a BMW 635CSi
- 1992 AMSCAR Series in a Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
- 1995 Australian GT Production Car Series in a Porsche 993 RSCS
- 1996 Australian NASCAR Championship
- 1999 Australian GT Production Car Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3
- 2000 Australian Nations Cup Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3
- 2001 Australian Nations Cup Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3
- 2002 Australian Nations Cup Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3
- 2003 Australian Carrera Cup Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3 Cup
His Bathurst wins have been:
- 1978 - Peter Brock / Jim Richards (Holden Torana LX A9X)
- 1979 - Peter Brock / Jim Richards (Holden Torana LX A9X)
- 1980 - Peter Brock / Jim Richards (Holden Commodore VC)
- 1991 - Mark Skaife / Jim Richards (Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R)
- 1992 - Mark Skaife / Jim Richards (Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R)
- 1998 - Rickard Rydell / Jim Richards (Volvo S40)
- 2002 - Mark Skaife / Jim Richards (Holden VX Commodore)
He has also won Targa Tasmania eight times in a succession of Porsches, and a pair of Sandown 500 wins.
[edit] Career results
| Season | Series | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Australian Sports Sedan Championship | 4th | Ford Mustang | Sidchrome |
| 1977 | Australian Sports Sedan Championship | 4th | Ford Mustang | Jim Richards |
| 1977 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 13th | Ford XB Falcon GT | |
| 1978 | Australian Sports Sedan Championship | 2nd | Ford XC Falcon | Jim Richards Motor Racing |
| 1979 | Rothmans International Series | 11th | Matich A53 Repco Holden | J Richards |
| 1979 | Australian Sports Sedan Championship | 2nd | Ford XC Falcon Chrysler VH Valiant Charger Chevrolet Monza |
Jim Richards Motor Racing Clem Smith Rotax Monza |
| 1980 | Australian Sports Sedan Championship | 3rd | Ford XC Falcon | Jim Richards |
| 1982 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 22nd | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1982 | Better Brakes AMSCAR Series | 9th | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1982 | Australian Endurance Championship | 36th | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1982 | Australian GT Championship | 13th | BMW 318i | JPS Team BMW |
| 1983 | Australian Endurance Championship | 2nd | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1983 | Australian GT Championship | 2nd | BMW 318i | JPS Team BMW |
| 1984 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 5th | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1985 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 1st | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1985 | Australian Endurance Championship | 1st | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1986 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 3rd | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1986 | Australian Endurance Championship | 1st | BMW 635 CSi | JPS Team BMW |
| 1987 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 1st | BMW M3 | JPS Team BMW |
| 1988 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 4th | BMW M3 | Advantage Racing |
| 1989 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 4th | Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R | Nissan Motorsport Australia |
| 1990 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 1st | Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R |
Nissan Motorsport Australia |
| 1991 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 1st | Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R | Nissan Motorsport Australia |
| 1991 | Australian Endurance Championship | 4th | Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R | Nissan Motor Sport |
| 1992 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 2nd | Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R | Winfield Team Nissan |
| 1993 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 4th | Holden VP Commodore | Gibson Motor Sport |
| 1994 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 6th | Holden VP Commodore | Gibson Motor Sport |
| 1994 | Australian Super Production Car Series | 3rd | Porsche 968 CS | |
| 1995 | Australian Touring Car Championship | 12th | Holden VR Commodore | Gibson Motor Sport |
| 1995 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 16th | Hyundai Lantra Ford Mondeo |
Hyundai Automotive Ross Palmer Motorsport |
| 1995 | Australian GT Production Car Series | 1st | Porsche 993 RSCS | |
| 1996 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 8th | Vauxhall Cavalier | Jim Richards |
| 1996 | Australian GT Production Car Championship | 2nd | Porsche 993 RSCS | Jim Richards |
| 1996 | Australian Superspeedway (NASCAR) Series | 1st | Pontiac Grand Prix | Garry Rogers Motorsport |
| 1997 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 5th | Volvo 850 | Volvo Dealer Racing |
| 1998 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 3rd | Volvo S40 | Volvo Dealer Racing |
| 1999 | Shell Championship Series | 62nd | Ford AU Falcon | John Briggs Motorsport |
| 1999 | Australian Super Touring Championship | 2nd | Volvo S40 | Volvo Dealer Racing |
| 1999 | Australian GT Production Car Championship | 1st | Porsche 996 GT3 | Jim Richards |
| 2000 | Shell Championship Series | 33rd | Ford AU Falcon | John Briggs Motorsport |
| 2000 | Australian Nations Cup Championship | 1st | Porsche 996 GT3 | Jim Richards |
| 2001 | Shell Championship Series | 35th | Ford AU Falcon | Ford Tickford Racing |
| 2001 | Australian Nations Cup Championship | 1st | Porsche 996 GT3 | OAMPS Insurance Brokers |
| 2002 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 33rd | Holden VX Commodore | Holden Racing Team |
| 2002 | Australian Nations Cup Championship | 1st | Porsche 996 GT3 | OAMPS |
| 2003 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 37th | Holden VY Commodore | Holden Racing Team |
| 2003 | Australian Nations Cup Championship | 15th | Porsche 911 GT3 | OAMPS Insurance |
| 2003 | Australian Carrera Cup Championship | 1st | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup | Jim Richards Racing |
| 2004 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 39th | Holden VY Commodore | Castrol Perkins Racing |
| 2004 | Australian Carrera Cup Championship | 2nd | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup | Jim Richards |
| 2005 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 47th | Holden VZ Commodore | Holden Racing Team |
| 2005 | Australian Carrera Cup Championship | 2nd | Porsche 996 GT3 Cup | OAMPS Insurance |
| 2006 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 58th | Holden VZ Commodore | Holden Racing Team |
| 2006 | Australian Carrera Cup Championship | 4th | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup | OAMPS Insurance Brokers |
| 2009 | Australian GT Championship | 3rd | Porsche 997 GT3 Cup | Jim Richards Racing |
| 2009 | Touring Car Masters | 4th | Ford Falcon Sprint | Jim Richards Racing |
| 2010 | Touring Car Masters | 1st | Ford Falcon Sprint | Jim Richards Racing |
[edit] 1992 Crash
Richards is infamous for his speech after winning the 1992 Bathurst 1000 after crashing his Nissan GT-R in while in the lead. The crash happened during appalling conditions with heavy rain making parts of the circuit almost undriveable, race stewards decided to stop the race and waved the red flag. The Nissan was largely unpopular with Bathurst race fans who mostly wanted to see either a Ford or Holden win. After Richards' crash crowd favourite Dick Johnson, driving a Ford Sierra, assumed the lead, but the race results were declared at the end of the last completed lap, before Jim Richards' accident. The Nissan won the day and the crowd booed when Richards and his co-driver Mark Skaife went to collect their trophies. When prompted for a reaction, Richards' spoke in the microphone: "I'm just really stunned for words, I can't believe the reception. I thought Australian race fans had a lot more to go than this, this is bloody disgraceful. I'll keep racing but I tell you what this is going to remain with me for a long time. You're a pack of arseholes."[2] He later apologised for the outburst, citing the fact that he had just heard the news that his good friend and countryman Denny Hulme had died from a heart attack which he suffered during the race.
[edit] References
- ^ "Lowndes wins major V8 award". Fox Sports Australia. 12 December 2006. http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20910049-23770,00.html. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
- ^ Bidwell, Peter (2006). V8 Kiwis. Auckland: Hodder Moa. p. 18. ISBN 1-86971-060-6.
[edit] External links
- Jim Richards Hot Laps Experience
- Jim Richards Racing Homepage
- VESRIX
- 2003 Carrera Cup
- 2007 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Allan Moffat Jacky Ickx |
Winner of the Bathurst 1000 1978, 1979 and 1980 (with Peter Brock) |
Succeeded by Dick Johnson John French |
| Preceded by Dick Johnson |
Winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship 1985 |
Succeeded by Robbie Francevic |
| Preceded by Robbie Francevic |
Winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship 1987 |
Succeeded by Dick Johnson |
| Preceded by Dick Johnson |
Winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship 1990 and 1991 |
Succeeded by Mark Skaife |
| Preceded by Win Percy Allan Grice |
Winner of the Bathurst 1000 1991 and 1992 (with Mark Skaife) |
Succeeded by Larry Perkins Gregg Hansford |
| Preceded by David Brabham Geoff Brabham |
Winner of the Bathurst 1000 1998 (with Rickard Rydell) |
Succeeded by Paul Morris |
| Preceded by Mark Skaife Tony Longhurst |
Winner of the Bathurst 1000 2002 (with Mark Skaife) |
Succeeded by Greg Murphy Rick Kelly |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
