As motor racing driver Jason Richards battled a rare and aggressive form of cancer, he bravely used his sport as what he called his therapy.

It lifted Richards and those around him.

Richards, 35, died at his Melbourne home on Thursday night after his 14-month battle with cancer.

New Zealander Richards produced two of his most memorable performances as he fought cancer.

First there was a heart-warming win in the second-tier Fujitsu V8 Supercar series in Adelaide in March.

He followed that the next week racing and beating the best in the main series, finishing second to Garth Tander in a V8 race at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Well liked up and down pit lane and respected for his driving talents, Richards' efforts to compete successfully while ill won even more kudos from his fellow drivers.

For Richards, it was simply a case of enjoying the normality racing brought while enduring months of chemotherapy, experimental drug trials and personal research into adrenocortical carcinoma - a cancer only a handful of people in Australia have had.

"My 100 per cent focus has to be my cancer. Racing is now my weekend fun," Richards said at the time.

"Cancer is just as much a mental problem as it is a physical one, and racing for me was all about treatment."

Three times Richards finished runner-up at the sport's showcase event, the Bathurst 1000.

He was a specialist in wet weather, often producing his best results in the most difficult of conditions.

Richards also won three New Zealand touring car championships prior to moving into the Australian V8 series in 2001.

He drove successfully for a variety of Holden teams in the V8 series - the latest Brad Jones Racing which proved a vital support after he had been diagnosed with cancer late last year.

Fellow drivers also lent support with the establishment of bid4jase.com - an auction website set up to raise funds for Richards and his family.

Richards is survived by wife Charlotte, and children Sienna, 4, and Olivia, 1.

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8390956

Vale RIP

Sad to hear. Probably bad people have just as much chance to die of cancer than other people. We just don't hear about it. However if bad people are immune to cancer perhaps that is an avenue for cancer researchers to investigate.

My old man got given three months to live nine years ago. Still fighting the bastard C. Good man. Nah great man. He has shown me what having a real fight is all about and at this stage every day is a win.
RIP Jason