Greg Murphy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greg Murphy |
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Greg Murphy during the 2022 Bathurst 1000
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| Nationality |  New Zealander |
| Born | 23 August 1972 Hastings, New Zealand |
| V8SuperTourer | |
| Years active | 2012-14 |
| Teams | M3 Racing |
| Car no. | 1 |
| Starts | 157 |
| Wins | 22 |
| Poles | 4 |
| Fastest laps | 11 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2013 & 2014 |
| Supercars record | |
| Car number | 51 |
| Current team | Erebus Motorsport |
| Series championships | 0 |
| Races | 448 |
| Race wins | 28 |
| Podium finishes | 81 |
| Pole positions | 13 |
Gregory David Murphy (born 23 August 1972) is a professional racing driver from New Zealand. He is famous for winning the Bathurst 1000 race four times. Greg Murphy also appeared on the TV show Top Gear Live in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2009 and 2010. He joined presenters Jeremy Clarkson and James May for these live shows.
Racing Journey
Greg Murphy started in motorsports when he was only eight years old. He began with karts, then moved to saloon cars and single-seater cars before moving to Australia. His first race at the famous Bathurst circuit was in 1994.
In the next two years, he raced for Brad Jones Racing and the Holden Racing Team (HRT). He won the Bathurst 1000 in 1996 with his teammate Craig Lowndes. In 1997, he raced full-time for HRT and finished fourth in the championship.
From 1999 to 2000, Murphy raced for Gibson Motorsport, finishing sixth in points both years. He teamed up with Steven Richards to win the Bathurst 1000 again in 1999.
In 2001, Murphy joined the new K-Mart Racing team. He won the Bathurst 1000 twice more with teammate Rick Kelly, in 2003 and 2004. While at K-Mart Racing, he finished second in the championship in 2002 and 2003. He also placed fourth in the championship in 2001 and 2004.
Greg Murphy is one of the most well-known V8 Supercar drivers. He won four races at his home track, Pukekohe, near Auckland (in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005). At the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, he has the third-best record for a New Zealander, with four wins. Only Jim Richards (seven wins) and his son Steven Richards (five wins) have more.
His qualifying lap in 2003 at Bathurst was incredibly fast, setting a record of 2:06.8594. This lap was known as "The Lap of the Gods" and is still a famous moment in Bathurst history. It was the fastest lap at Mount Panorama until 2010.
In November 2003, Murphy won the Bathurst 24 Hour race. He drove a Holden Monaro 427C with teammates Peter Brock, Jason Bright, and Todd Kelly. They finished just 0.3505 seconds ahead of another team after 527 laps.
After 2004, Murphy raced for several teams, including Paul Weel Racing (2005-2006), Tasman Motorsport (2007-2009), Paul Morris Motorsport (2010), and Kelly Racing (2011-2012). He continued to have some good performances, including getting pole position at the Bathurst 1000 in 2011.
In 2013, Murphy returned to the Holden Racing Team for some races. He had some tough luck, including a big crash at Bathurst that ended his race. In 2021, there was an idea for Murphy and fellow New Zealander Richie Stanaway to race together again in the Bathurst 1000. This idea was very popular with fans.
It was confirmed in June 2021 that they would return with Erebus Motorsport. However, the race was postponed due to travel rules. In April 2022, Erebus Motorsport confirmed the plan was back on for the 2022 Bathurst 1000. Murphy and Stanaway raced together in October 2022, finishing 11th.
Key Career Moments
- 1994 – Won the New Zealand Grand Prix at Manfeild.
- 1996 – Finished second in the GT2 Class at the famous Le Mans race.
- 1996 – Won the Bathurst 1000 and Sandown 500 with Craig Lowndes for the Holden Racing Team.
- 1999 – Won the Bathurst 1000 with Steven Richards.
- 2000 – Finished third at Bathurst with Steven Richards.
- 2001 – Helped start Kmart Racing. Finished third at Bathurst with Todd Kelly.
- 2002 – Received a large penalty in V8 racing history for a pitlane mistake by his team.
- 2003 – Set the fastest lap ever at the Mount Panorama Circuit during the Top 10 Shootout, called 'The Lap of Gods'. Won Bathurst 1000 with Rick Kelly. Won the Bathurst 24 Hour race with Peter Brock, Todd Kelly, and Jason Bright.
- 2004 – Won Bathurst 1000 again with Rick Kelly.
- 2008 – Finished second at Bathurst 1000.
- 2011 – Earned pole position for the second time at Bathurst and finished third in the 2011 Bathurst 1000.
- 2012 – Won the first-ever V8SuperTourer race at Hampton Downs. He finished second overall for the season.
- 2013 – Won the V8SuperTourer Sprint Series and the Overall Championship. This was his first championship win in 17 years.
- 2014 – Won the V8SuperTourer Sprint Series and Overall Championship for the second year in a row. He also finished second in the Sandown 500 with James Courtney.
- 2016 – Returned to circuit racing and finished second in the Highlands 101 race with Tony Quinn.
Personal Life
Greg Murphy was born and grew up in New Zealand. He went to Havelock North High School. For most of his racing career, he lived in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Now, he lives back in New Zealand but still travels to Australia often.
V8SuperTourer Racing
In 2011, a new racing series called V8SuperTourer started in New Zealand. Greg Murphy was very interested. He teamed up with Paul Manuell to create M3 Racing. Greg Murphy, Paul Manuell, and Richard Moore drove three cars for the team. New Zealand businessman Mike Pero became Murphy's main sponsor for the 2012 season.
In the 2012 season, Murphy had a great year. He won one pole position, five races, and two overall rounds. He also won the Endurance Championship. Even though he missed two rounds because of back problems, he still finished second overall in the championship.
In the 2013 season, Murphy made up for missing the title the year before. He won six races and finished on the podium 14 times out of 21 races. After an exciting final race against Ant Pedersen, Murphy won his first SuperTourer title.
Murphy continued his success in the 2014 season. He won the Sprint Series and the Overall Championship for the second year in a row.
Images for kids
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Murphy & Richie Stanaway's 2022 Bathurst 1000 Holden
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The 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour winning Holden Monaro
