Feature interview: Greg Murphy

Back to the Mountain

FOUR-TIMES BATHURST 1000 WINNER GREG MURPHY IS A STALWART IN AUSTRALASIAN MOTORSPORT CIRCLES, AND A REAL TALENT BEHIND THE WHEEL OF ALMOST ANYTHING

Greg’s career has seen him pedal open wheelers, tin-tops, rally cars, and a host of other machinery in some of the most iconic locations around the world, before hanging up the helmet from full-time racing in 2014. We decided to catch up with Murph to relive some of his most memorable moments from under the visor, and catch up on life after racing, including his entry in this year’s Repco Bathurst 1000 alongside fellow Kiwi Richie Stanaway in a Boost mobile—backed Erebus entry.

NZV8: What have been some of the most memorable machines that you have raced?

Murph: I was always a single-seater lover really. That’s what I always wanted to do from the beginning of my career. I didn’t get a chance to do as much as I wanted to do, but I loved all the singleseater stuff that I did drive. The Formula Atlantics and Formula Holdens from the early days were more of the purist race car stuff so they were always a highlight. The last time I raced a Formula Holden was in 1998, and I also raced one at Adelaide at the Grand Prix. They were mega memorable moments when F1 was still there — running on a F1 track in a single-seater and dreaming of making it big time overseas. I always enjoyed those opportunities. Some of the wild stuff, such as the first time I got to drive a Supercar/Group A Touring car, was in Peter Brock’s actual 05 race car — totally crazy, being I was a complete Brock super fan. So it was a pretty significant moment with the Holden Racing Team back then. I got to race at Daytona and LeMans in 1996 in a Porsche 911 GT2. That was pretty out there, and it was an awesome car on one of the world’s most iconic race tracks. I also had the chance to drive a Panoz — which is a wild, out-there crazy batmobile-style GT1 race car with a seven-litre Ford — along with David Brabham and Jason Bright. Another would be Shane Helms’ Zakspeed Capri, it is such an iconic piece of motorsport history and one of the most beautiful cars I have ever driven.

Most of us know you for your exploits in V8 Supercars, but we seem to forget all the other stuff you have raced too. What has been the hardest of the lot to master?

Definitely rallying. Circuit racing is circuit racing. Yeah, the cars are very different and they vary a bit, but at the end of the day racetracks are racetracks, and they don’t change that much. Weather, cars, tyres, power, and aero changes, but the tracks remain pretty constant. Whereas in rallying, nothing is the same from one second to the next. It is an ever-evolving world from the moment the countdown clock reaches zero at the start of stage one to the moment you finish the last stage of the day. It is just totally captivating. The buzz and the thrill, and adrenaline — I have never felt anything like it. The concentration combined with someone else in the car was something I was not used to at all, and supporting you with information designed to make you go faster was just crazy.

When it came to rallying, do you feel your

experience in a range of machinery helped you at all, or was it just that different?

No, everything was start again — I had never done anything like that before. The whole transition of approaching how you drive on a loose-surface road, and sometimes you run the same road again. The thing is you remember a lot of things, and the road changes — previously you couldn’t see over the crest, but this time you know you can take it flat so confidence grows, and you can take it a lot faster the second time through. You just need to remember, though, that the road is different to what it was last time. The buzz and thrill of that, and the fact that you are challenging just yourself, and there is nobody else you have to worry about around you, was something completely different that I was completely taken by. It was fully engrossing, and I loved every single minute of it.

How did the change from circuit to rallying come about?

It was always on my bucket list, and the circuit stuff had been done, and I wasn’t looking to do any more of it unless it was one-off or special stuff, and through some networking I got to drive a few individual events on the circuit, but I wasn’t looking for anything else. The rallying thing was something I always appreciated. I watched it and loved the skillset and the ability of the best drivers and what they were able to do with a car on a loose surface, so I wanted to have a go at it. Not for one second did I ever think it would be an easy thing to do though.

Are the GT3 machines quite easy to drive, or are they difficult cars to drive?

If you are going to be driving at the top of the driver pool, searching for the last couple of tenths here and there, you have to be pretty sharp and very committed, but I always found them quite easy cars to get a handle on when being driven at 9/10ths, as they do have the driver aids, traction control, and aero. You tend to be able to work a lot of that out pretty quickly, unlike a supercar that has a narrow tyre, quite a lot of horsepower, and not a lot of aero. They are very tricky tools to manhandle at a high level. You see many race car drivers who might not be able to showcase their skills in a V8 Supercar, but they get in a GT3 car and they are as good as anyone else.

Is there any discipline you haven’t had a crack at which you would like to?

I don’t really think so. I have driven sprintcars, jetsprint boats, and had a lot of fun doing that, ridden dirt bikes, and I love those! I haven’t raced motorbikes on a race track, but have ridden them on one. I don’t think so — I think rallying was right at the top of the list, and I don’t think there is much else that I need to do or have a desire to do. Nothing comes to mind, so I can’t be thinking of anything.

We know you for your time in the V8 Supercar series. What are some of those memories which stand out for you personally?

Well, I think ’96 was an amazing year. I was a co-driver at the Holden Racing Team and Lowndes, and I won Bathurst, but even more memorable was coming back to New Zealand to do the Mobil sprint series at Pukekohe and Wellington. Having a car with just my name on it and racing in front of mad, crazy Kiwi fans, it was something that just blew my mind completely. I mean, winning Bathurst was mind-blowing, but to come to New Zealand and be recognised as a Kiwi on home soil for winning Bathurst was such a significant thing. Then the New Zealand rounds of the V8 Supercar championship through those first number of years at Pukekohe was just outrageous. Those were very special, and I was very fortunate to have had a chance with the right teams at the right time in your home country. I mean, those experiences were right up there with the Bathurst victories, and of course 2003 with the Bathurst shoot-out lap. I was fortunate to have a moment at the Australian mecca of motorsport as significant as that.

Many remember the Lap of the Gods from 2003 Bathurst. How did things align on the day to produce such a record-breaking run?

Every single time you go to qualify, you are trying to do exactly that — just not every time it works and comes together like that. It was no different to any other shootout I have done, but Bathurst is a special place in a top 10 shootout. I always cherished that chance, I was always honoured to be in that runoff in Bathurst, having the whole track to myself and having the chance to lay down a lap time at that hallowed ground. It is a very special part of that weekend. I always saw it as a very important and specific part of the event. Sometimes I wasn’t qualifying the car, as it wasn’t my job, but when it was it was something I always gave my all in case it was the last chance to do it.

Bathurst holds a god-like status. How did the first time winning change or steer your career?

Without doubt, the opportunity I was given to race with the Holden Racing Team was the first thing. I actually doubted I was up to the task in the first instance. I didn’t even get to drive the car in the first great race at Bathurst. The car had expired before I even got a chance to race it in 1995, so I never even got in it. The first time I got to drive the car was in 1996 when I won it. I think ’96 was when I was able to prove I was capable. I think that was a big part of the bosses giving me the shot to go to New Zealand and give me the chance to drive for the team the following year. There is no doubt that the win put my performance or my brand and name on a different level. The win kind of demanded that I was taken notice of in some respects — you are driving for the Holden Racing team and you are teammates to Peter Brock, you had the runs on the board to back me up.

After retiring from full-time competitive driving, was there an itch that needed to be scratched at all, making you want to drive again?

At the end of the full-time thing, I was pretty over it. I had a pretty average few seasons, there was the odd highlight, but they were few and far between. When I finished up full-time, I was 40 years old, and despite not feeling it, it was the right time to stop, I was over the mediocrity by that stage, and knowing you didn’t have the gear and weren’t going to be given the gear and support to genuinely be competitive again and achieving the things you wanted. It was a struggle to accept I wasn’t going to be doing it anymore, as that was my job. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make a living and what the future held was something that played on my mind. First up was to get an endurance drive signed away with Holden Racing Team, but as a codriver — it was tricky as a co-driver, that was a role which was difficult for me. The pressure in that role was hard as you didn’t have as much time in the car, and you are supporting a Championship contender. I didn’t ever really feel that comfortable.

What has life after Supercars been like for you?

I think it was natural for me to worry about finishing up. I had spent a good amount of time in New Zealand throughout my full-time driving career and, without realising it at the time, I had relationships with companies and networks which provided me with a wide base to work from upon retiring from full-time competition. I quickly realised there were lots of things on the table for me, such as Supercars TV, which meant that life after racing didn’t really slow down as you would expect. I was at every race for television, which provided a new set of challenges and skills required to fulfil that role. It turned out that, upon retiring, I was spending

basically the same amount of time at the track as I did as a driver. There have also been lots of ambassador roles that I have been in. I’ve also been advocating passionately for improved road safety, as well as working hard with the help of Skoda and Carters Tyres to promote the ‘Street Smart’ practical driver training programme. These are all very important to me. With plenty of things on the table to keep me busy, I haven’t looked back. There has actually been no pining to go racing on my part since I stepped away from the sport as a full-time driver.

Your son has been bitten by the motorsport bug, and you are mentoring him along. What have you been able to share with him from your experience?

No, I’m not, haha. I am trying to steer him away from it! I guess I just know how hard it is, how much you need to work for it, and the sacrifices you have to make. Those are things I keep reminding him of, and that is what you have to be prepared to do. You also need resources and support these days if you want to try and achieve a goal of being a racing car driver. It is very difficult, and he would like to do more. He will continue to race here in New Zealand, and if there is a chance to go anywhere else it would be Australia. We will have to see what happens.

It has been seven years since you drove a V8 Supercar. How different are the latest-spec cars to when you last drove?

I drove Fabian Coulthard and Scotty McLaughlin’s Mustangs in a practice session for 30 minutes, and that was the last time in a currentspec car, and you are driving them cautiously, as they needed to be driven for the rest of the weekend. The evolutions have actually been quite small. They aren’t a complete and utter philosophy change. They are just doing it a different way; weight and power are similar, aero has increased a bit since when I drove last. They are pretty much a very similar kind of package and have been refined and improved. It wasn’t a shock driving the new car, but they are tweaked and improved. They are more planted and have more grip, so for someone like me it likely makes them a bit easier to drive in a comfortable sense, but probably still difficult at that 10/10ths level.

Thinking back to when you drove the RS500s vs today’s machinery, have the cars become easier or harder to drive?

I think that when you compare the two, there is more grip, they are more planted, and the way you have to drive them is very precise and pinpoint accurate. When you see the way SVG and the best guys drive now, there is a lot of precision and precise lap times coming out, and that is the way you have to drive them now. Today, there isn’t a lot of excitement and flair in how they are steering the cars compared to before, because they are now pretty hooked up — that is where the speed is. You don’t see them chucking them around, which looks easy, but to do consistently lap after lap is mentally very demanding. The cars have always been physical, that certainly hasn’t changed, either. The engine at the front, the heat they generate, the cabin temperatures that can reach high 50s [centigrade] makes them a physical car. The mental side of it — I take my hat off to SVG at the moment. He is just significantly better than anyone else, and his tool is very similar to everyone else, but nobody seems to have an answer for him. That comes from having an amazing innate feel, and drivers like this don’t come along all the time, they are very special, and he has proven that not just behind the wheel of a Supercar but other cars as well.

How did the Bathurst 2021 drive come about for you?

I had Peter Adderton put my name in the hat, I had no plans or ideas to come back to Bathurst in 2021. Seven years in retirement from Supercars — I have made sure it was clear this wasn’t an idea from my side. Peter Adderton from Boost is a brilliant marketer, and when it was announced that Brock Feeny and Russell Ingall were going to race a car run by Triple Eight under Supercheap colours, which was a clever bit of ambush marketing to steal the thunder from Repco, who now sponsors Bathurst and the championship. It got Peter thinking. So he devised a little plan around Greg Murphy and Richie Stanaway doing a little wildcard entry, and threw it out into the social media abyss and made it happen.

Full-time drivers have incredible fitness regimes. Have you continued fitness after retiring?

No, I backed off, as I wasn’t big on the gym but have maintained core fitness, just not to the level of drivers in full-time would. I have had to jump back on the mouse-wheel and get back into it more than what I was. I have frequently been out cycling, especially mountain biking, for core fitness. It isn’t quite enough for the demands of driving these cars, so I am back into a gym with a fairly rigorous fitness regime to get up to speed as much as I can in order to drive the Supercar.

In terms of Bathurst, what are the hardest physical or mental aspects of the great race?

It is definitely a mental thing. If you are physically prepared, then it isn’t much of a problem, it is making sure you get enough rest leading in, hydrating, maintaining good calorie intake, and then the race is more of a mental challenge. At the end of the day, what wore you out was always the mental side of things.

Does the endurance aspect ever get boring, cutting lap after lap, or is it a perfectionist’s dream chasing the perfect lap?

You are always trying to be as fast as you can for as long as you can. You can’t get bored at Bathurst, it always has so much going on, and it’s so demanding. It demands way too much respect to ever get bored.

What goals have you set yourself for this upcoming Bathurst?

I haven’t really set any yet. It’s a really difficult thing. The reality for me is fairly clear in respect of what is achievable. What is exciting is seeing what Richie is capable of. I don’t doubt that we will have a good race car. Erebus are doing a great job and showing good speed this season. As a combination, if there was a way we could be on the lead lap at the end of the race [it] would be massive. I just hope I will have the speed to give Richie the car on the lead lap for the final couple of stints so he can do his thing.

Kiwi workshops invited to Europe’s biggest auto trade show online

WORKSHOPS CAN RECEIVE CERTIFICATES FOR FREE ONLINE TRAINING AND ENGAGE IN LIVE INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS

Automechanika Frankfurt is going hybrid. Automechanika Digital Plus will take place on 14-16 September at Frankfurt, and online. ZF Aftermarket is taking advantage of this global platform and has organised ZF Aftermarket Live, offering customers and workshop partners insights into the company’s new technologies and industry trends, as well as taking part in online training.

“With our format ZF Aftermarket Live we will share our vision for a green, sustainable, and datafueled aftermarket of tomorrow and discuss the next generation of mobility with our partners in an interactive way,” says Philippe Colpron, head of ZF Aftermarket. “Our visitors will have access to in-depth information about our latest products, services, and technologies designed to support the transformation towards electrified, autonomous, and connected vehicles.”

On the first day of the trade show, on 14 September, the focus will be on the latest products and services for the passenger car market. Live discussions and keynote presentations will address topics such as e-mobility, autonomous driving, and how the spare parts market could be made more sustainable. Examples include ZF products such as brake pads which are produced using a carbonneutral process and remanufactured replacement parts. The focus on this day will also be on fully autonomous people movers, ZF’s contribution to environmentally friendly and efficient inner-city passenger transport.

Commercial vehicle fleet operators and managers will be interested on 15 September when speakers will discuss the trends driving the truck, bus, and trailer segments. They will learn about ZF’s latest monitoring, networking, and telematics solutions for better fleet control, remote diagnostics, and predictive maintenance.

ZF Aftermarket Live will once again specifically address automotive workshops on the third day of the trade fair (16 September). They can attend online training courses on the topics of highvoltage technology basics, retrofitting the Tailguard reversing assistance system for commercial vehicles, and electric power steering for passenger cars, for which participants will receive a certificate. In addition, the ZF [pro]Points bonus program offers competitions and games in which participants can win vouchers for ZF workshop concepts and other prizes, such as a Sachs e-bike.

To access the wide-ranging ZF Aftermarket Live program and register for the live online training courses in English, see https://zfaftermarketlive. com/en.

Top quality in crude, refining, and blending create Q8

NEW ZEALAND’S OIL AND LUBRICANTS MARKET IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST DIVERSE AND BLUEPAK BRINGS US THE BEST FROM Q8

Kuwait Petroleum Limited are the manufacturers of the Q8Oil brand of lubricants, and Bluepak Lubricants Limited, a small privately owned New Zealand family business, is the sole distributor of the Q8Oil range here.

Bluepak has been operating in New Zealand for more than 17 years and is proud to be part of New Zealand’s Blackfern Co-operative. “Our business extends beyond the automotive market into most other industrial applications covered by commercial and industrial businesses in New Zealand,” says Bluepak owner Mike Blewman.

Kuwait Petroleum Limited is reputedly the fourth largest oil corporation in the world producing more than 3000 products based on the high quality of Kuwait crude. The quality base conferred by this crude is preserved by processing in the most modern blending facilities in Europe in Antwerp, Belgium. The finished products meet all international standards including ACEA, API, and OEM specifications. The ACEA is the European watchdog for ensuring quality standards are maintained.

“Q8Oils does not use contract oil blending opportunities to reduce costs, as quality of the Q8Oils brand cannot be compromised,” says Mike. “Testimony to our commitment to product quality is the ISO accreditation in Antwerp.”

Q8Oil also offers a range of biodegradable lubricants. They are a significant supplier in Europe, meeting all the legislative demands protecting sensitive environmental areas such as waterways and food producing areas.

Mike says the products’ high quality based on Kuwait crude sets the Q8Oil brand above other lubricant suppliers in New Zealand and around the world.

“This is confirmed by the continuing feedback we receive from our customers, who confirm smoother and quieter running, not forgetting the lower emissions and proven cost saving benefits based on litres per 100km.

“Our customers can confidently recommend Q8Oil lubricants to their customers, including the financial benefits of using the Q8Oil’s brand, along with the many other benefits including total engine protection.”

Mike reckons Q8Oil products are worth a premium, but the company’s strategy is to supply at very competitive prices, “so everyone is a winner”.

All of Bluepak Lubricants’ loyal customers can count on a minimum of three months’ stock held in store or in transit to cover their needs. “We’d like to take the opportunity to thank Blackfern and our customers for their continuing support and we look forward to welcoming new customers to our special brand Q8Oils,” Mike says.

For more information contact Bluepak Lubricants Ltd on (04) 233 8840, or check out the listing in the new Blackfern Co-operative Black Book.

Meet the Bluepak team: Brian Stocker, Eleanor Merifield, and Dan Horward