Last week it was announced that Jim Richards would be inducted into the CAMS Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame on March 24 together with his long-time friend, and former team mate, Mark Skaife.
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When the induction takes place at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre, Richards will have achieved a very unique place in Australian motor sport history that is unlikely to ever to be matched.
With this latest accolade, he will be an inductee into three different Halls of Fame.
In 2006 Richards was inducted into the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame, and in 2007 he was inducted into the Targa Tasmania Hall of Fame, having competed in 15 Targa Tasmania events.
The following year he was also awarded Targa Tasmania Legend status, after contesting every stage under the nominated maximum time for a total of 15 years (five lots of three years). In 25 years, only seven people have achieved that honour.
At 69 he shows no sign of slowing down, and is committed to race in the Touring Car Masters series next year, and three tarmac rallies in a new Porsche GT3RS.
Richards made a record 35 starts at Bathurst achieving seven wins in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1998 and 2002, and won four Australian Touring car championships in 1985, 1987, 1990 and 1991.
He won four Nations Cup titles in Porsches in 1995, 1999, 2000 and 2001 and was the Porsche Carrera Cup champion in 2003.
To emphasise his versatility he won the Australian NASCAR championship in 1995 and 1996 and was the Grand Prix Rally winner for five consecutive years between 1995 and 1999.
Targa Tasmania has always been a favourite event with Richards competing every year since 1993, achieving eight wins in 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
There have also been wins in Targa New Zealand (two), Rally Tasmania (four), Rally Burnie (two), Mt Buller Sprint (two), Targa West (two) and Lake Mountain Sprint (one).
In recent years, the grandfather of five and father of four-time Bathurst-winning son Steven has turned his attention to the very popular Touring Car Masters series, driving his 1964 Falcon Sprint and AMC Javelin.
The Falcon Sprint carried Richards to series wins in 2010 and 2013 and after a recent refurbish and upgrade will race in selected rounds of next year’s TCM series.
Speaking from his workshop in Melbourne this week Richards said he was very surprised to be honoured with the award.
“When you enjoy something as much as I have over the years, you don’t think about awards but just focus on the next event so this is a wonderful bonus.”