AN additional Jason Richards Memorial Trophy will be up for grabs this year, with the popular Kiwi to be celebrated as part of the trans-Tasman V8 TA2 Muscle Car Challenge.
Team Australia and Team New Zealand will each be made up of eight entries, with competition starting this weekend at Christchurch’s Ruapuna Park and concluding next weekend at Highlands Motorsport Park.
A Supercars Championship race winner, Richards succumbed to cancer at age 35 in December 2011.
The winner of the (usually) annual Supercars round held in New Zealand is awarded a Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, and in this instance two countries will duke it out decided by points accumulated across two events.
“We feel it’s quite fitting to recognise the true spirit of Jason’s motorsport career in both Australia and New Zealand by allowing this prestigious trophy to be awarded to the Australian or New Zealand team with the most points over the two-round series,” said NZ TA2 category administrator Gary Lathrope.
“The winning team will get to hold the trophy for 12 months in recognition of their efforts.”
American-based Nathan Herne will feature in Team Australia alongside Mark Crutcher, Graham Cheney, Paul Hadley, Anthony Tenkate, Greg Keam, Brad Gartner and Michael/Steve Coulter.
Representing Team New Zealand will be Peter Ward, Andrew Turner, Brett Rudd/Paul Manuell, Steve Ross, Ben Stewart, Aimee/Bree Roberts, Maurice Shapley and Brent Collins.
