RIP Jason Richards

[L4OMEO]

From the stuff.co.nz website a short time ago ....

**************

New Zealand V8 Supercar driver Jason Richards has died after a 14-month battle with cancer.

He was 35.

V8 Supercar officials and Holden confirmed Richards died on Thursday night at his home in Melbourne.

He had been fighting a rare and aggressive form of cancer called adrenocortical carcinoma.

Richards was a three-time Bathurst 1000 runner-up, and won three New Zealand touring car championships prior to moving into the Australian V8 series in 2001.

He drove successfully for a variety of Holden teams in the V8 series - most recently Brad Jones Racing.

Richards is survived by his wife Charlotte and children Sienna and Olivia.

"Jason's family is appreciative of the many thousands of people who have offered their love and support during his battle with illness over the past 14 months,'' Richards' family said in a statement issued on Friday.

V8 Supercars said a memorial service to honour Richards and his career would be held at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne in the next few weeks.

*************

Sad day. I was a big fan and watched him in awe in the support races at Bathurst just a few weeks back, the guy had incredible courage. RIP Jason.

Rory

[Sheldon McIntosh]

He was a great driver.  Very sad news.  It's a been a bad year for motorsports.

[colcol]

He almost seemed too nice to be successful in the cut throat world of V-8 Taxi racing, but he was tough as, just ask the owners of Team Dynamo, who he sued for unpaid wages and got them!, he used to race in other catorgories, because he liked to race, and he was offered rides in other series, because as he said, it was good therapy for him, he moved with his freind Wally Storey from Tasman Motorsport to Brad Jones Racing, he was his engineer, but they also went fishing together, he will be missed around the race tracks, R.I.P., Colin.

[dehne]

R.I.P Jas its been a pleasure to watch you drive, and may the best be with your family.

[colcol]

And at one stage in his career, he was a candidate for a drive at H.R.T., and they don't have dud drivers, but typical, the marketing department got involved and thought that being a Kiwi it might affect the millions of dollars in sales of HRT merchandise, so they gave the drive to an Aussie, Colin.