Author(s): Andrew Duncan Clarke

Automotive & Transport | New Zealand | Biographies & Memoirs

A new Jason Richards tribute book will be out for Christmas 2012, with all profits going to the Sienna and Olivia Education Trust. The book will be an illustrated history of the popular racing driver's career and life and the battle with cancer that he lost nearly 12 months ago. Richards started his racing career in karts in New Zealand before progressing into Formula Ford in both his homeland and Great Britain before returning home to dominate the local touring car racing. He won three national titles before making his debut in the V8 Supercar Championship and becoming a three-time runner-up in the Bathurst 1000. His story though is much more than that, it is a story of a man whose natural charm won an army of fans, including some of his fellow competitors like John Bowe and Greg Murphy who have written forwards for the book. I have so many memories of Jason that I have never really committed to print, this is my chance to tell a little bit of a story and show people a little bit more about Jason, author Andrew Clarke said recently. We had discussed a book of much greater written substance to this, but the battle he was fighting took too much energy to talk about himself." What he wanted to do was tell the story of his life so that Sienna and Olivia could understand their dad a little more as they grow up. We missed being able to tell that story, but now at least we can let them understand him through the eyes of those around him, while also giving back a little more to the girls that meant the world to him. The motorsport photographers of Australia have to be thanked in advance for donating their pictures for this, and I think their willingness to do something like this shows you a little more about the measure of the man.The book will be published by P101 for the Sienna and Olivia Education Trust with the support of his wife Charlotte and parents David and Pauline.