Jason Richards Trophy to continue at Taupō

The coveted Jason Richards Memorial Trophy will continue to be awarded to drivers when Supercars competes at Taupō from 2024.

The 2024 ITM Taupō SuperSprint will be held on April 19-21 next year.

Supercars, in collaboration with the New Zealand Government and Taupō District Council, made the announcement on Thursday, two weeks out from the Repco Bathurst 1000.

A significant cultural welcome was held at the circuit on Thursday morning, to officially welcome Supercars to Aotearoa.

The New Zealand Government confirmed substantial funding will be going towards ensuring the event is a success for fans over the next three years.

Key to announcement was confirmation that the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, first awarded in 2013, will remain a prize for drivers as the event arrives at a new home.

The trophy was inaugurated in 2013 when Supercars returned to Pukekohe, nearly 18 months after the popular racer passed away after a battle with cancer.

Richards, a posthumous Supercars Hall of Fame inductee, contested 113 rounds and 284 races in his decorated career, claiming three Bathurst podiums.

Between 2013 and 2022, the driver that won the most points over the course of the round at Pukekohe took home the trophy. Shane van Gisbergen fittingly won the trophy in Supercars’ final event at Pukekohe last September.

Aucklander van Gisbergen is one of just five drivers, and two Kiwis, to win the Richards Trophy.

Van Gisbergen also won in 2016 and 2019, with Jamie Whincup winning in 2015 and 2017. Mark Winterbottom (2014) and Scott McLaughlin (2018) are also winners.

Jason Bright, a former teammate of Richards at Brad Jones Racing, was an emotional winner of the first Richards Trophy in 2013.

Taupō will become the 35th different venue to host a Repco Supercars Championship round, with next year’s event to be the 21st Supercars Championship round held in New Zealand.

“We had an incredible response to the announcement earlier this month and as a result we’re trying to ensure we cover all options for ticketing before we go on sale,” Supercars CEO Shane Howard said.

“We anticipate having grandstand, general admission, corporate and other ticketing options confirmed and on sale in just a few weeks’ time.

“The venue is incredible. To think that in just over 200 days this entire venue will be filled with fans as Supercars race here is very exciting.”

A waitlist for fans seeking tickets has been set up on Supercars.com and anyone interested in attending is encouraged to sign up to receive relevant information.

The 2024 ITM Taupō SuperSprint will be broadcast live on Foxtel and Kayo in Australia and Sky Sports in New Zealand.