BJR determined to repeat Bright NZ heroics
The final Pukekohe Supercars round has Brad Jones Racing on notice to repeat the emotion of 2013.
Supercars will race at Pukekohe for the final time this weekend. Purchase your ITM Auckland SuperSprint tickets now.
Drivers will again race for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the highest point-scorer of the weekend.
The very first JR Trophy fell into the right hands in 2013 with BJR and Jason Bright.
Bright took over the #8 BJR entry that Richards raced between 2009 and 2010.
The 1998 Bathurst winner won races in Perth and Winton in 2011 prior to Richards’ passing.
Kiwi Richards featured on the Winton podium just months before he succumbed to illness.
Come 2013, and Pukekohe’s return coincided with the inaugural JR Trophy.
With Richards' widow Charlotte, daughters Sienna and Olivia, and parents Dave and Pauline cheering on, Bright delivered in style.
It came after Bright received a wave from five-year-old Sienna prior to the race.
At the centre of it all was Jones, who had to manage overwhelming emotions to lead his team.
“That meeting in 2013 is one of my fondest, and the most special,” Jones told Supercars.com.
“It meant so much to everyone in the team, and to Brighty.
“We were all close to JR, as was Brighty, who was in the eight [car].
“Brighty was putting a lot of pressure on himself to bring that trophy home for us.
“He did an awesome job. I’ll never forget that weekend.”
Bright trailed Jamie Whincup early in the race before overhauling the defending champion.
Garth Tander cleared Whincup late on, but was unable to make an impression on Bright.
After the win, Bright knew he had to deliver with the weight of family and country watching on.
“I left last week saying this is the one I really want to win,” Bright said.
“I put a lot of thought into it. The whole team wanted to take that trophy back to Albury.
"I was awake all last night thinking about it and I was gutted when I qualified 12th this morning.
“Sitting on pole I had tears in my eyes watching Charlotte and the kids in front of the car.
"We thought about nothing but that trophy all weekend and it’s a very special thing to take it home.”
Bright and BJR returned 12 months later and won what remains the only Supercars race to be held on ANZAC Day.
That was the 20th and final victory of Bright’s long career.
Fast forward nine years, and Jones has a Kiwi spearhead in the likes of Andre Heimgartner at the wheel of the #8.
Heimgartner’s first BJR campaign has been rocks and diamonds, highlighted by podiums in Perth and Winton.
He also made a lucky escape in the frightening start-line Tailem Bend crash with Thomas Randle.
Given BJR’s history at Pukekohe, and this weekend being the circuit’s last hurrah, Jones is keen to repeat Bright’s heroics.
“Going back to Puke for the last time, it’s really important for us to do well,” Jones said.
“Beating Shane for the JR Trophy will be difficult, but it’ll be awesome if we’re in the fight.
“When we’ve been on point this year, we’ve been very competitive.
“The Kiwis lift when we go to New Zealand, and rightly so. Andre is pumped.
“The JR Trophy means so much to us, and we’d love nothing more than to repeat what we did in ’13."
