WITH 26 starts and five wins in the Bathurst 1000 to his credit, Steve Richards been involved with many remarkable stories at Mount Panorama.
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He has won in both a Ford and a Holden, shared a podium with his father, seen his car in flames in Pit Lane and shared an emotional victory with great mate Craig Lowndes last year.
He has contested the Bathurst 1000 alongside 12 different men during his career - some as co-driver the other as the full-timer - yet when it comes to ranking the finest piece of driving he has witnessed at the Mount it is an easy pick for Richards.
It is what Mark Winterbottom produced in the final stages of the 2013 Bathurst 1000 to behind the wheel of the Ford Performance Racing Falcon Richards co-drove.
It was an effort which led to the duo standing on the top tier of the podium.
"I still rate Frosty's [Winterbottom's] race there, from my own personal perspective from years in motor racing, as one of the greatest last couple of stints anyone has ever driven with the pressure he had on him," Richards said.
"And not only the pressure he had on him, but the pressure of FPR being there for a potential win - that was incredible what he took on his shoulders that day, it was amazing."
That year Winterbottom was having his 10th start in the Bathurst 1000 and sixth alongside Richards.
On lap 138 when Winterbottom emerged from the pits he had the lead over Jamie Whincup, but in wet and blustery conditions it was by no means job done.
Richards watched on as Winterbottom - chasing not only his maiden Bathurst win but the first for FPR - came under huge pressure from Whincup.
On the penultimate lap Whincup even drew alongside Winterbottom at Griffins Bend, but he held on to claim the chequered flag.
It came as a form of redemption for 2007 when he had led with 10 laps to go but made an error and had to settle for 10th.
"To be honest, that far out I knew he had the pace on the day, the car was really good. But to withstand that pressure for 32 or 33 laps of that last couple of stints, that was unbelievable," Richards said. "I remember it vividly, I thought 'I'm not going to have any nails at the end of this' but it worked out.
"We had a fourth in 2011 and just missed the podium there, but we never had the car speed. In 2013 we had the car speed, we were in a position to do the job.
"There's no question that Frosty felt the pressure of 2007 - so there was no way he was going to let that go being in the position he was in."
This year Richards will reunite with Winterbottom as his co-driver in the Charlie Schwerkolt Commodore for another tilt at the Bathurst 1000.
Winterbottom has not managed a podium so far this season - a pair of fourths his best results - but that 2013 drive means Richards knows he has the talent to feature at the Mount.
