Steve Richards Driver Profile

Official Driver Profile of Steven Richards, FPR V8 Supercar Driver

If there was ever anyone born to race then it was Steve Richards. With a father who is a seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner and seven-time Targa Tasmania winner, it’s easy to see that the Richards pedigree is nothing short of first class.

But Richards has forged his own path to success in racing. Preferring to use his father Jim’s advice rather than influence to achieve in a sport where many are comfortable taking shortcuts in vain attempts to reach the top.
Richards’ world of Motorsport was non-existent until the age of 15, when he was offered a ride in a new go-kart by a family friend. It was a ride that saw Richards launch his career into Motorsport.
Using his natural skills, which he is always trying to hone, and his impressive technical knowledge, Richards advanced from Karting at a local Melbourne track, to Formula Ford and Super Tourers until he reached the winners podium at Bathurst- claiming the V8 Supercar classic back to back in 1998/99.
Two Bathurst 1000 V8 Supercar wins, a 24 hour Bathurst win and second place, numerous V8 Supercar victories, pole positions and the 1994 Australian Formula Ford Championship are just some of the achievements Richards can rank alongside his reputation for being one of Australia’s best development drivers- those achievements and reputations being earned the hard and, for Richards most satisfying way.
Highlighting Richards reputation for extensive technical skills and being a first class development driver, was his appointment as the full-time test driver for the works Nissan team in the British Touring Car Championship in 1998. Having helped secure the BTCC crown for Nissan with his development work, Richards returned to Australia to contest the season ending V8 Supercar endurance races that year. His Bathurst win and the lure of the home-grown series proving to be too much, Richards resumed his Australian V8 Supercar career on a full-time basis in 1999, that year seeing him take his second Bathurst 1000 victory in a career that has successfully continued on ever since.
In 2002, Richards joined the Castrol Perkins Racing team to contest the V8 Supercar Championship series. A year that had him battling for second place in the championship, scoring a second place in the Bathurst 1000, and finishing the year with numerous other podium places.
In the years since then, Richards has enjoyed many podium places and race wins. 2004 saw pole positions at Barbagallo, Bathurst and Symmons Plains, and in 2005 pole position again at Symmons Plains. Richards had a round win at Barbagallo, second overall at both Shanghai and Symmons Plains, and qualified in the top ten of every round in 2005.
In 2006 the Castrol Perkins team became Jack Daniels Racing. Richards claimed victory at the Australian Grand Prix support round and won a round of the Championship again at Barbagello. At the Bathurst 1000 Richards was in line for a podium finish until a mechanical problem forced the team to make an extra pit stop resulting in a 5th place finish. The Grand Finale at Phillip Island saw Richards narrowly miss out on a podium finish resulting in 4th place and ended the championship season in 7th outright.
2007 saw Steve join the Ford Performance Racing team driving the number 6 Castrol Edge Falcon. The season saw Steve finish 3rd in the Sandown 500, 2nd overall at both Oran Park and Tasmania and have a race win on the streets of Surfers Paradise after narrowly missing out on a win in the Bathurst 1000 weeks earlier.
When looking back on his V8 Supercar career, Richards proudly highlights his major achievements as; 1st Barbagallo V8 Supercars Rd 3 2005 and 2006, 1st Bathurst 24hr race 2002, 1st Calder Park V8 Supercars Rd 10 2000, 1st inaugural GMC 400 Canberra V8 Supercars Rd 6 2000, 1st Bathurst 1000 (with Greg Murphy) 1999, 1st Bathurst 1000 (with Jason Bright) 1998 and 1st Australian Formula Ford Championship 1994.

Chronology

• Started racing karts at age 15 and moved into Formula Ford in 1991, winning the Australian Formula Ford  Championship in 1994.
• Drove 2Ltr Super Touring Cars and Auscar (Super Speedway) in 1994/5.
• Started driving V8 Supercars full time in 1996 after competing in 1995 V8 Bathurst 1000 finishing in 4th position. 
• “Denny Hulme Rookie of the Year” award 1995 Bathurst 1000.
• Appointed full time test driver for the British Works Nissan Team, BTCC in 1998.
• Returned to Australia at the end of 1998 for the first of 2 Bathurst 1000 events.  A victory in the V8 Supercar Bathurst 1000 and a 2nd in the 2Ltr Super Tourer Bathurst 1000 in a car he brought over from the BTCC in the UK and prepared himself. 
• Has also had success in the Bathurst 24hour event, driving a Holden Monaro to victory in 2002 and second place in 2003 against an international field.
Steve has driven for Garry Rogers Motorsport (1994-1998), Stone Brothers Racing (Sandown and Bathurst 1998), Gibson Motorsport (1999-2000), Ford Tickford Racing (2001), Jack Daniels Racing/Team Perkins Racing (2002-2006), and 2007 to present is driving the number 6 Castrol Edge Falcon for Ford Performance Racing.