Josh Richards
Josh Richards has been one of the most successful Dirt Late Model racers of the past two decades. The native of Shinnston, WV has been crowned as the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series champion on four different occasions and has also earned a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title over the course of his stellar career. The 34-year old driver is currently second behind only Brandon Sheppard on the all-time wins list for the WoO Late Models with 78 victories while also capturing 33 LOLMDS checkered flags.
Richards is the son of legendary Rocket Chassis co-founder Mark Richards. Much of his driving success, including the four WoO titles, came while piloting his father’s Rocket 1 Racing machine. After leaving that ride he moved to Ohio-based Best Performance Motorsports where he then claimed the Lucas Oil championship.
Richards has won some of the sport’s biggest races including the Dirt Track World Championship and the USA Nationals on two separate occasions each.
However, the 2022 season was a disappointing one. After separating from Clint Bowyer Racing, Richards landed in a team car to longtime competitor Boom Briggs. Very little success came from the pairing and Richards suffered a pair of personal setbacks.
A fire destroyed his RV during the early part of the season then significant facial injuries resulted from being struck by a dirt clod at Eldora Speedway during the running of the Johnny Appleseed Classic.
“It was not an easy decision to make, but I knew it was time for a change,” Richards stated in a press release posted to his Josh Richards Racing page on Facebook. “I’ve raced full-time since I was a teenager and I’m ready to do something different with my life.”
However, he did not rule out the possibility of racing again on a smaller scale than is currently called for in modern-day Dirt Late Model racing.
“I don’t have the desire to race a full-schedule again,” Richards added. “But, I wouldn’t be opposed to racing for fun a few times a year if the right opportunity presented itself.”
Richards offered thanks to those who have helped him throughout his impressive career in the release.
“I’ve been blessed to accomplish all that I have in my career. I give all the glory to God. I want to thank my family, friends, teams, crew and sponsors for giving me an opportunity to race and be competitive. I also want to express my thanks to my family and my wife, Andrea for their love and encouragement. I want the fans to know how much I’ve appreciated their support. I have enjoyed getting to meet so many new people throughout the years and I will cherish their friendships forever.”
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