Jim Richards is known as one of the most versatile drovers to ever race on these shores, but he balanced racing a Ford Falcon Sports Sedan alongside Bathurst duties partnering Peter Brock with the factory Holden Dealer Team.
Not likely to happen in these current days, but while Richards was winning Bathurst alongside Peter Brock, on the lucrative Sports Sedan circuit he was racing a highly modified Ford Falcon against the likes of Frank Gardner in his Chevrolet Corvair.
The Sport Sedan came first after it was built from a Ford-supplied XB hardtop shell, with long-time Richards collaborator Murray Bunn leading its construction.
It was a delayed process to build the Ford Falcon, but it debuted in 1978 to much success despite the advanced development of Gardner’s Corvair.
Using a Gurney Eagle head on a Cleveland 351 engine and Top Loader gearbox, the Falcon proved quick as Richards scored three wins out of seven in 1978. Allan Grice was now driving Gardner’s Corvair and finished level on points with Richards for the title, but won courtesy of his four victories.
About this time, contact was made by the Holden Dealer Team for Richards to co-driver alongside Brock in the first Bathurst since his return to the factory fold.
Of course the pair enjoyed a hat-trick of victories including their first together in 1978 and a crushing six-lap win the next year.
A change to the Commodore for 1980 didn’t end the success for the duo, though a Ford-driving Queenslander gave Holden a scare before hitting a rock.
The 1981 event was the last for Brock and Richards before the latter joined Gardner at BMW.
However, Richards still race his Falcon Sports Sedan during this time and ran third in 1979 in what was a part season after winning the opening round at Lakeside. Richards parked the Falcon during the year and used two other Sports Sedans throughout his part-campaign.
Three wins in 1980 gave Richards third in the standings despite only contesting four of the 11 rounds as the Falcon program wound down.
A turbocharged BMW was next on Richards journey when Sports Sedans were absorbed into the Australian GT Championship for 1982.
This also transitioned to a BMW 635 CSi in touring car racing leading to two Australian Touring Car Championships in 1985 and 1987 for Richards when the regulations changed to Group A.
The Richards-Brock partnership was reunited when BMW through its support behind a Mobil-backed campaign in 1988 after Holden dropped the star before the beginning of the previous season.