Steve Richards and long-time Australian motorsport supporter Castrol joined together to brighten the weekend for a competitor at the Speed on Tweed in Northern New South Wales on Saturday.

Queenslander Daryll Searle, who was competing at the event aboard his Amaroo Clubman, arrived at the circuit on Saturday morning only to find someone had stolen his toolbox and various other equipment.

When hearing of the Searle’s loss Richards, who was competing at the event aboard his Castrol EDGE-backed 1971 Ford Escort, joined with the backer of his Castrol FPR Falcon in the V8 Supercar Championship Series to assist his fellow competitor.

On Saturday afternoon Richards presented Searle with a $1,000 voucher on behalf of Castrol to replace the stolen goods.

“Saturday was certainly a day of mixed emotions for me and I can’t thank Richo and Castrol enough for putting a smile back on my face after what started out as a very disappointing day,” said Searle.

“I am very humble for the support shown towards me in these trying circumstances.

“My thoughts also go out to another fellow competitor, Chris Farrell, who had his briefcase stolen. Inside this briefcase were things such as log books and certificates of descriptions to many of the seven cars in his collection which are irreplaceable – especially when you are talking about cars like a 1960s Brabham.”

The Speed on Tweed is one of the most prestigious dates on the motorsport social calendar but there is a competitive element. Each of the 180 entries has several timed drives of the 1.5km Murwillumbah Sprint Circuit over the course of the weekend.

For Richards the event was about the enjoyment aboard a car he is very passionate about and wandering around looking at some incredibly successful cars.

This is the first time Richards has participated in the Speed on Tweed event, but he is a keen enthusiast and the Speed on Tweed is a perfect event for people who love old, historic cars.