Jim Richards (racing driver)

Jim Richards
Nationality	New Zealand
Born	(1947-09-02) 2 September 1947 Otahuhu
Related to	Steven Richards (son)
Touring Car Masters
Years active	2008–16
Teams	Jim Richards Racing
Car no.	2
Best finish	1st in 2010, 2013
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 Touring 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 2013	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 Touring Car Masters
Awards
2006	V8 Supercars 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 Touring Car Masters series. After seven Bathurst 1000 victories and four Australian Touring Car Championships, Richards was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 2006^[1] and the Australian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2015. He is the father of racing driver Steven Richards, and between them they have achieved 11 Bathurst 1000 wins, most recently in 2015.

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 V8 Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 with fellow Kiwi Rod Coppins which finished in third place. This and other wet weather drives over his career gave Richards the reputation of being a 'rainmaster' which many Australian's cynically attributed to living in rainy New Zealand, though Richards himself believes it is more from the car control he learned early in his career racing dirt track speedway.

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. Brock later recalled that at the time he only knew Richards as a casual acquaintance and fellow driver, but after the Wanneroo Park round of the 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship, the pair shared a Ford Falcon panel van for the drive from Perth back to Melbourne (which they allegedly covered in approximately 24 hours for what is normally a 2-3 day trip). Upon returning home to Melbourne, Brock suggested Richards for the job of his co-driver for that years Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst. He was hired by HDT team manager John Shepherd and although only driving once a year for the team, the Brock/Richards combination would win Bathurst in 1978, 1979 and 1980.

In 1982, Richards was hired by JPS Team BMW team manager Frank Gardner as the teams lead driver to drive the teams BMW 635 CSi. While results under the locally developed Group C regulations were lacking, when Australian touring car racing changed to the international Group A regulations in 1985, the BMW was suddenly a frequent race winner. Richards easily won the 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship and the 1985 Australian Endurance Championship. The 635 CSi was replaced by the smaller capacity BMW M3 in 1987, and Richard's would again come to the fore, winning the 1987 Australian Touring Car Championship.

Gardner shut down the JPS team at the end of 1987, and Richards re-joined Peter Brock's team for 1988, with the old HDT now running the BMW M3s after spending the previous 19 years racing Holdens. By 1988, however, the M3 had been overtaken as the car to have by the all-powerful Ford Sierra RS500, and the wins of 1987 were now struggles for places. At the end of the year, Brock's team decided to race Sierras in 1989 while Richards was snapped up by the Fred Gibson to race for his factory-backed Nissan team.

Driving for Nissan, Richards won his third ATCC in 1990 driving both the Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R and 4WD, twin turbo R32 GT-R, affectionately known as "Godzilla". He would repeat as champion in 1991, finishing the ATCC ahead of his young team mate Mark Skaife. Skaife then put the GT-R on pole position at Bathurst, before he and Richards cruised to victory in race record time, a lap ahead of the Holden Commodore of defending race winners Win Percy and Allan Grice.

Richards finished second to Skaife in the 1992 ATCC, before the pair then won their second straight Bathurst 1000 in a crash-shortened race which saw Jim crash the GT-R in a downpour on lap 145. However, as there had been a separate crash on that lap (which Richards later became a part of while trying to drive back to the pits), the red flag was shown and the race was declared. As the rules state that the results would be from the previous lap, this saw a surprised Richards and Skaife declared race winners. On a personal note, the 1992 Tooheys 1000 was a sad occasion for Richards when his longtime friend and former JPS BMW team mate, 1967 Formula One World Champion Denny Hulme died at the wheel of his BMW M3 on lap 32 after suffering a heart attack.

Richards was only informed of Hulme's passing just before he and Skaife took to the podium as winners, and as the unruly crowd below booed the pair (they wanted the second placed Sierra of Dick Johnson and John Bowe declared winners as they did not like a Japanese car dominating as the GT-R did), the normally gentlemanly Richards let fly with his now famous speech:^[2]

His other Australian title wins were:

• 1985 Australian Endurance Championship in a BMW 635 CSi
• 1985 AMSCAR Series in a BMW 635 CSi
• 1986 Australian Endurance Championship in a BMW 635 CSi
• 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 LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback)
• 1979 - Peter Brock / Jim Richards (Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback)
• 1980 - Peter Brock / Jim Richards (Holden VC Commodore)
• 1991 - Mark Skaife / Jim Richards (Nissan 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 the Sandown 500 in 1985 with Tony Longhurst in a BMW 635 CSi, and again in 1989 with Mark Skaife in a Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R.

Recently, Richards has driven in the Targa Tasmania as well as numerous other tarmac rallies in the Australian Targa Championship and other tarmac rallies, driving for Porsche. Partnering Richards as navigator has been motor racing journalist and commentator Barry Oliver. The pairing of Richards and Oliver (affectionately known as Team Grandpa in later years) has won the Targa Tasmania a record 8 times. Richards and Oliver made their debut in Targa in 1993 in a Porsche 968 CS.^[3] His final victory saw him become only the fourth winner of the event in a two-wheel-drive car, and is the last person to do so, holding off more fancied four-wheel-drive rivals over a wet Day 5 to win his last Targa Tasmania title.

Targa Tasmania wins:

• 1996 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 993 Turbo)
• 1997 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 993 Turbo)
• 1998 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 993 Turbo)
• 2000 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 996 Turbo)
• 2001 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 996 Turbo)
• 2002 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 996 Turbo)
• 2003 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 996 Turbo)
• 2006 - Jim Richards / Barry Oliver (Porsche 997 GT3)

Career results

Richards drove a BMW 635 CSi in the Group C Touring Car category from 1982 to 1984

Jim Richards and Barry Oliver competing in the 2005 Targa Tasmania

Richards won the 2010 Touring Car Masters at the wheels of a 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint

Richards placed second in the 2012 Touring Car Masters with an AMC Javelin AMX

Complete World Sportscar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	DC	Points
1981	Porsche Cars Australia	Porsche 924 Carrera GTR	DAY	SEB	MUG	MNZ	RIV	SIL	NUR	LMS DNS	PER	DAY	WAT	SPA	MOS	RAM	BRA	NC	0
1984	JPS Team BMW	BMW 320i	MNZ	SIL	LMS	NUR	BHT	MOS	SPA	IMO	FJI	KYL	SAN ovr:14 cls:1					NC	0

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Points
1987	JPS Team BMW	BMW M3	MNZ	JAR	DIJ	NUR	SPA	BNO	SIL	BAT ovr:4 cls:1	CLD Ret			NC	0
	Viacard Services											WEL ovr:19 cls:6	FJI

† Not eligible for series points

Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	DC	Points
1988	Mobil 1 Racing	BMW M3	BAT Ret	WEL Ret	PUK	FJI	NC	0

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1981	Porsche Cars Australia	Peter Brock Colin Bond	Porsche 924 Carrera GTR	GT	-	DNS	DNS

Complete Bathurst 24 Hour results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2002	Prancing Horse Racing Scuderia	Matt Weiland Maher Algadrie Peter Fitzgerald	Porsche 996 GT3 R	1	451	15th	3rd

Complete Bathurst 1000 results

Jim Richards won the Bathurst 1000 seven times. His first three wins were in 1978, 1979 and 1980 with Peter Brock who himself won the race a record nine times (Richard's seven wins puts him second all time to Brock who won 9 times). Richards also had three wins with Mark Skaife and once with Swedish driver Rickard Rydell. Of his record 36 race starts, 22 were with a factory backed team for either Holden, BMW, Nissan or Volvo with only victory in a BMW eluding him. He finished on the podium 13 times with seven wins, three seconds and three thirds, plus one class win.

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1974	R Coppins	Rod Coppins	Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000	3001 – 6000cc	158	3rd	3rd
1975	R Coppins	Rod Coppins	Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34	D	147	8th	5th
1976	John Goss Racing Pty Ltd	John Goss	Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	3001cc – 6000cc	129	31st	10th
1977	Melford Motors	Rod Coppins	Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	3001cc – 6000cc	53	DNF	DNF
1978	Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock	Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback	A	163	1st	1st
1979	Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock	Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback	A	163	1st	1st
1980	Marlboro Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock	Holden VC Commodore	3001-6000cc	163	1st	1st
1981	Marlboro Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock	Holden VC Commodore	8 Cylinder & Over	103	21st	12th
1982	JPS Team BMW	David Hobbs	BMW 635 CSi	A	157	5th	5th
1983	JPS Team BMW	Frank Gardner	BMW 635 CSi	A	6	DNF	DNF
1984	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW 635 CSi	Group C	39	DNF	DNF
1985	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW 635 CSi	C	160	4th	4th
1986	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW 635 CSi	C	161	6th	5th
1987	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW M3	2	156	4th	1st
1988	Mobil 1 Racing	Peter Brock Neil Crompton	BMW M3	B	89	DNF (DND)	DNF (DND)
		David Parsons Neil Crompton	BMW M3		68	DNF	DNF
1989	Nissan Motorsport Australia	Mark Skaife	Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R	A	160	3rd	3rd
1990	Nissan Motorsport Australia	Mark Skaife	Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R	1	146	18th	16th
1991	Nissan Motorsport Australia	Mark Skaife	Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R	1	161	1st	1st
1992	Winfield Team Nissan	Mark Skaife	Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R	A	143	1st	1st
1993	Winfield Racing Team	Mark Skaife	Holden VP Commodore	A	161	2nd	2nd
1994	Winfield Racing	Mark Skaife	Holden VP Commodore	A	39	DNF	DNF
1995	Winfield Racing	Mark Skaife	Holden VR Commodore		65	DNF	DNF
1996	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Steven Richards	Holden VR Commodore		33	DNF	DNF
1997*	Volvo Dealer Racing	Rickard Rydell	Volvo 850		159	4th	4th
1997	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Steven Richards	Holden VS Commodore	L1	161	2nd	2nd
1998*	Volvo S40 Racing	Rickard Rydell	Volvo S40	ST	161	1st	1st
1998	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Jason Bargwanna	Holden VS Commodore	OC	161	3rd	3rd
1999*	Volvo S40 Racing	Cameron McLean	Volvo S40		50	2nd	2nd
1999	PAE Motorsport	John Bowe	Ford AU Falcon		82	DNF	DNF
2000	Briggs Motor Sport	John Bowe	Ford AU Falcon		147	DNF	DNF
2001	Ford Tickford Racing	Dean Canto	Ford AU Falcon		161	5th	5th
2002	Holden Racing Team	Mark Skaife	Holden VX Commodore		161	1st	1st
2003	Holden Racing Team	Tony Longhurst	Holden VY Commodore		161	5th	5th
2004	Castrol Perkins Racing	Steven Richards	Holden VY Commodore		148	21st	21st
2005	Holden Racing Team	James Courtney	Holden VZ Commodore		7	DNF	DNF
2006	Holden Racing Team	Ryan Briscoe	Holden VZ Commodore		24	DNF	DNF

* Super Touring races

Complete Sandown Endurance results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1976	Jim Richards		Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	Class D : Over 3000cc	NA	DNF	DNF
1977	Melford Motors		Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	A	NA	DNF	DNF
1982	JPS Team BMW		BMW 635 CSi	D	105	10th	9th
1983	JPS Team BMW		BMW 635 CSi	Over 3000cc	129	2nd	2nd
1984	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW 635 CSi	Over 3000cc	72	DNF	DNF
1985	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW 635 CSi	A	129	1st	1st
1986	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW 635 CSi	B	127	5th	5th
1987	JPS Team BMW	Tony Longhurst	BMW M3	B	118	DNF	DNF
1988	Mobil 1 Racing	Peter Brock David Parsons	BMW M3	B	122	7th	1st
1989	Nissan Motorsport Australia	Mark Skaife	Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R	A	161	1st	1st
1994	Winfield Racing	Mark Skaife	Holden VP Commodore	V8	161	2nd	2nd
1995	Winfield Racing	Mark Skaife	Holden VR Commodore		155	8th	8th
1996	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Steven Richards	Holden VR Commodore		73	DNF	DNF
1997	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Steven Richards	Holden VR Commodore		155	5th	5th
1998	Garry Rogers Motorsport	Jason Bargwanna	Holden VS Commodore	OC	144	7th	7th
2001	V.I.P. Petfoods	Tony Quinn	Porsche 996 GT3	N	126	DNF	DNF
2002	V.I.P. Petfoods (Aust) P/L	Tony Quinn	Porsche 996 GT3	G1	161	2nd	2nd
2003	Holden Racing Team	Tony Longhurst	Holden VY Commodore		140	10th	10th
2004	Castrol Perkins Racing	Steven Richards	Holden VY Commodore		155	15th	15th
2005	Holden Racing Team	James Courtney	Holden VZ Commodore		159	11th	11th
2006	Holden Racing Team	Ryan Briscoe	Holden VZ Commodore		157	21st	21st

1992 Bathurst 1000

Richards is noted for his speech when he and co-driver Mark Skaife were loudly booed by the crowd after winning the 1992 Bathurst 1000 whereas normally winners were greeted with support. Skaife gave a short speech after which Richards said very few words, "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."^[5] Podium MC and Channel 7 commentator Gary Wilkinson then suggested he could cool the crowd down with a champagne bath, to which Richards replied "I wouldn't bother."

Due to appalling weather conditions with heavy rain with multiple cars crashed and stopped on the side of the race track the race was stopped on lap 145. On lap 144 Richards, who had already crashed once rendering the car heavily damaged and barely drivable, slid off the road and came to a stop behind another crashed car. He had been leading at the time his car left the road but was overtaken by Ford driver Dick Johnson, who assumed the lead, and several other cars before the red flag was waved which ended the race. The race results were to be wound back to the last completed lap, lap 144, which would have seen Johnson the winner, but due to the large number of crashes on lap 144 the race was woundback an additional lap which meant Richards and Skaife were declared winners. This decision was unpopular with the crowd who were primarily being divided between Holden and Ford supporters and who didn't like a crashed and undriveable car being the winner.

Richards later apologised for the outburst, citing the fact that he had been told just before going out onto the podium that his longtime friend and former JPS BMW team mate Denny Hulme had died from a heart attack which he suffered while driving in the early part of the race.

References

1. ↑ "Lowndes wins major V8 award". Fox Sports Australia. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 3 January 2007. 
2. ↑ When Jim Called Them A Pack Of ...
3. ↑ Octagon Australia. "Targa Tasmania Results Archive". 
4. 1 2 3 Tom Naughton, Frank's final, Jimmy's "SS", Racing Car News, January 1977, pages 48 & 49
5. ↑ Bidwell, Peter (2006). V8 Kiwis. Auckland: Hodder Moa. p. 18. ISBN 1-86971-060-6. 

External links

• Jim Richards Hot Laps Experience
• Jim Richards Racing Homepage
• VESRIX
• 2003 Carrera Cup
• 2007 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport