Now a New Zealand racing legend, Greg Murphy back in 1996 was just starting to make his name In Australia’s motor racing landscape.
After being plucked from Formula Brabham to race as part of the factory Brad Jones Racing-Audi operation in the fiercely fought Australian Super Touring Championship before the Holden Racing Team came a calling in 1995.
Following on from its successful injection of young talent through Craig Lowndes, which nearly resulted in a debut Bathurst win for the boy from the Diamond Valley in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, HRT was searching for the next big thing.
Murphy had proved more than a match for the experienced Paul Stokell in Formula Holden’s and with business entrepreneur Peter Adderton’s support, he progressed to Super Touring initially in a Toyota Carina before joining the new for 1995 Audi team alongside lead driver Brad Jones and his team managing brother Kim.
The Audi vs BMW rivalry was extremely fiery during these early seasons as Murphy played understudy to Jones in the title fight and HRT Team Manager Jeff Grech’s interest grew in the talented New Zealander to offer him a test.
Murphy was then offered a drive alongside Lowndes at Sandown and Bathurst, but after scoring pole position at both events it proved an utter disaster for HRT as neither of its entries finished, with both VR Commodores out before the first driving stint was completed.
Retained for 1996, Murphy joined a team at the top of its game as Lowndes went on to take the touring car championship in his season before the two decimated the field in both endurance events.
However, the job wasn’t done.
With Lowndes now focusing on his F3000 campaign for 1997, Murphy completed HRT’s 1996 season on home turf at Pukekohe and the Wellington streets for the Mobil Sprints.
Three races at each venue featuring fellow local and two-time World Touring Car Cup winner Paul Radisich, Dick Johnson, Alan Jones, John Bowe, Larry Perkins, Wayne Gardner, Tony Longhurst, Neil Crompton, Russell Ingall, Glenn Seton as well as HRT teammate Peter Brock.
This provided the best opportunity for Murphy to announce his arrival and was in a way a dress rehearsal to take over the spot Lowndes vacated at HRT.
It got off to a great start as Murphy took pole and won all three races at Pukekohe as many drivers were caught up in carnage, particularly Team Coca Cola.
First, Crompton was edged wide at the hairpin off the track and t-boned Perkins, before a massive spin for Gardner entering the front straight resulted in significant work needed for its pair of VR Commodores.
Jones was also caught up in dramas, but Murphy took a clean-sweep in a preview of five years later.
Wellington’s tight layout promised more carnage failed to allow any overtaking so Murphy scored sixth in the first progressing to third in Race 2 before a win secured the local the Mobil Sprints title.
For the record, Bowe won the opening two races and finished 14-points in arrears as third went to Seton.
Murphy next contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the first coming under the V8 Supercars name and finished fourth before Lowndes returned for 1998 demoting the New Zealand rising star to a co-driver only role.