Racing legend and star of Repco’s Bathurst advertisement from last year Jim Richards has been recognised in the Australia Day Honours List.
A four-time Australian Touring Car Championship winner, Richards moved to Australia in 1975 alongside wife Fay and was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for ‘significant service to motor sports as a team owner and driver’.
Alongside his ATCC titles, Richards has achieved seven Bathurst 1000 victories and is considered one of the great all-rounders in Australian motorsport due to his ability to shift between different racing categories.
Richards was part of some of the great teams of Australian motorsport during the 1970s and 1980s. The Holden Dealer Team, Frank Gardner’s JPS BMW squad, Nissan motorsport and many more.
Alongside his circuit racing achievements, Richards won eight Targa Tasmanias in Porsches alongside former Supercars commentator Barry Oliver.
After entering an enforced full-time touring car retirement at the end of 1995, racing actually increased for Richards leading to Australian NASCAR, Carrera Cup, GT-Production, Nations Cup and Touring Car Masters titles.
The 78-year-old today focuses on his collection of unique models of both road and race specification, while son Steve enjoyed a successful racing career headlined by adding six Bathurst victories to the Richards family tally.
Third generation racers Clay Richards and Jett Blumeris continue to build on the family’s racing history.