How Pukekohe's king handled the hype

Pressure came from all angles on Greg Murphy every time he raced on home soil.

Few drivers have been cast under the microscope quite like Murphy was when Supercars arrived at Pukekohe.

This weekend’s ITM Auckland SuperSprint will be the final Supercars round at the famous circuit.

The very first round in 2001 doubled as the first championship race off Australian soil.

By that time, Murphy had already carved out an impressive career, having won Bathurst in 1996 and 1999.

It was in 1996 where Murphy proved his mettle at Pukekohe, winning the Mobil 1 Series event.

Come 2001, and everything mattered. Championship points were on the line, as was national pride.

Murphy, speaking on a special Repco Rewind podcast celebrating Pukekohe, remembers what he was up against.

“The hype that started to come at such an early time when it was announced… it was literally insane,” he said.

"I was blown away by the enthusiasm.

“I should reference back to ’96, but it had built to another level at that stage.

“The sport was on a growth, it was an incredible period to be part of it.

“Then we turn up here... it was just nuts, absolutely nuts.

Pukekohe's 2001 debut, with Murphy at the front Pic: AN1 Images

“To follow it up with success, it’s the stuff dreams are made of.”

In the first five visits to Pukekohe between 2001 and 2005, Murphy won the round four times, and won nine races.

It was a remarkable strike rate, and befitting of a driver of such calibre.

To 2005, and Murphy was a four-time Bathurst winner, and a two-time series runner-up.

The only blip on his Pukekohe run between 2001-05 was losing out to Jason Bright in 2004.

Even then, Murphy had hoped finally being beaten would take the pressure.

He was wrong - but in 2005, the ‘King of Pukekohe’ had his coronation with another crushing clean sweep.

'It was surreal to think we could have that much success' Pic: AN1 Images

When asked if he lifted when on home soil, Murphy said: “I don’t think I felt it, it was all subliminal.

“I had some good things go my way. But you take the good with the bad, and I had plenty of bad.

“The two events where I won all three races was pretty amazing.

“We came back in ’02, and it was like going back after Bathurst ‘03 and people asking, ‘Is your lap time going to get beaten?’

“2002 we won again, and it was like, ‘Are you going to win again?’ The expectation kept coming.

“2004 was almost a relief that Brighty won, it felt like the pressure was off.

“But we came back a year later and the pressure was back on again.

Murphy's coronation was complete in 2005

“It was surreal to think we could have that much success… sometimes things were just supposed to be.”

Even if Shane van Gisbergen wins all three races this weekend, Pukekohe’s chapter will close with Murphy still top of the tree.

So much has changed in the 21 years since Murphy first left his rivals for dead.

Down the line, some ambitions have changed, with drivers carrying more corporate weight than ever before.

Even then, the most battle-hardened figures such as van Gisbergen have admitted the hometown pressure is a lot to handle.

For Murphy, his ambition was clear - win at all costs, enjoy the gratification, but remember who else you’re doing it for.

“You have to be selfish in this sport. At the end of the day, you’re doing it for you,” he said.

“You might carry an aura from something, some guys have history with family or their dads through generations.

“For me, it was a selfish passion, a selfish need to be the best you could possibly be.

“After that, it’s the support you get and what it means to other people.

“The pressure is put on by yourself, for yourself; the need, want and desire to succeed.

“When I came here to Pukekohe, there were so many people wishing you well.

“You definitely felt the support… pressure is an interesting thing, it comes in all different forms.”

Supercars will farewell Pukekohe with three 41-lap sprints this weekend.