Motorsport: Hometown boys eye Richards trophy

Shane van Gisbergen leads fellow Kiwi Scott McLaughlin yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

Three races down and the big one to go today - and the Kiwi drivers are pretty much in command and control on their home turf.

Shane van Gisbergen has a win, a second place and a fifth, Scott McLaughlin has been on the improve with an eighth, a sixth and a second. However, and by his own admission of "letting the Kiwi trifecta down", Fabian Coulthard has struggled posting a seventh, a 10th and an 11th.

All three New Zealanders will, of course, have an eye on the bigger game of where they fit in the championship come the end of the season in December, but right now it's all about the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy.

Forged as a permanent reminder of one of the categories best-loved racers, Jason Richards, who succumbed to cancer in late 2011, it's a piece of silverware the Kiwi drivers are particularly keen to get their hands on.

Van Gisbergen leads the race for the trophy with Mark Winterbottom and James Courtney there or thereabouts and fellow Kiwi McLaughlin lurking back in fourth.

Today's race will have a bigger impact on not only who might win the Richards' trophy, but the championship battle as well.

The first three races of the weekend were each worth 50 points but today's 72-lap feature has a bonanza of 150 points up for grabs.

"I hadn't won a race for a while so the win yesterday was a pretty cool feeling especially with all the support you get here [Auckland]," said van Gisbergen.

"Everyone is so upbeat and it doesn't matter if it's me, Scotty [McLaughlin] of Fabian [Coulthard], they just want to see us do well. So hopefully I can push forward today and get another win.

"With so many points available for today's race you can't be sure of anything.

"Leading the points for Jason's trophy is nice but we'll have to see how we get on later.

"It's a long race and Mark [Winterbottom] had impressive tyre wear so we'll have to qualify well.

"I know we have shorter stints and change tyres, but we need the car a little bit better to make sure we're running at the front and not using up the tyres too fast."

McLaughlin is only 26 points back in the chase for the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy, and if his current form around Pukekohe is anything to go on, he'll be a real threat to van Gisbergen in the race for round honours.

McLaughlin is relatively happy with his Volvo but needs a setup that isn't going to chew his tyres up too fast so he has something left at the end.

"It's good that there's two Kiwis in with a chance of winning the trophy," said McLaughlin.

"We've just got to tune the car up a bit better as it's not looking after its tyres too well.

"It's going to be hard to catch Shane [van Gisbergen] at the moment as he's bloody quick. If I can't win the trophy tomorrow I'd rather Shane did than anyone else."

Richards' widow Charlotte and the children are in the UK visiting family at the moment so his father, Dave, will present the trophy to the round winner this afternoon.