Murphy and the 51: The historic driver-number relationship
Greg Murphy and the #51 will officially reunite for the first time in nine years at the Repco Bathurst 1000.
The Boost Mobile-backed Erebus Motorsport wildcard livery for Murphy and Richie Stanaway's Bathurst returns was revealed on Tuesday.
December’s race will be Murphy’s first Bathurst start since 2014, and Stanaway’s first since 2019.
Murphy and the #51 go together like peas and carrots.
Of his 28 career wins - the most of any driver not to win a title - Murphy claimed 18 of them with the #51 on the window.
Between 1997 and 2014, Murphy made an even 200 round starts. Of the 200, 138 came with #51 above his name.
It was in 2001 that Murphy started using the #51, but according to the driver himself, there was nothing overly special about how he came to use it.
"When the whole Kmart Racing team was formed under the Tom Walkinshaw Racing banner, there were a lot of licence issues,” he said in 2019.
"At the time there was the Holden Young Lions team running and they had car #15, but when the other licence turned up there was no number associated with it.
"I think it was our sign writing guy at the time, Doug Brumby, who was like, 'why don't you save on cutting different numbers; why don't we just reverse the 15 and make it 51?'
The wildcard livery
"Everyone was like, 'oh yeah, that's a good idea!'
"So nothing superstitious or an amazing back story – or any Days of Thunder links!”
Between 2001 and 2012, Murphy only raced with the #51 at the 2001 enduros, 2004 Bathurst, 2008 enduros and the 2011 season.
Murphy’s first season with the 2001 ended with a dominant title win for Mark Skaife, but the New Zealander had a strong campaign of his own.
Boost Mobile backed the 2001 Pukekohe event Pic: AN1 Images
He finished fourth overall and won six races. His first win with the #51 came at Eastern Creek, now known as Sydney Motorsport Park - which will host the 2021 season resumption this month.
Wins in Darwin and Winton followed, but it was on home soil where Murphy really made the #51 shine.
Murphy swept the 2001 Pukekohe round, which was the first championship round outside of Australia. Fittingly, it was sponsored by Boost Mobile.
He would win 13 more races between 2002 and 2005, six of them at Pukekohe.
His famous ‘Lap of the Gods’ at Mount Panorama in 2003 was with #51 on the window, and he duly raced to victory the following day.
Murphy and Kelly went back-to-back in Bathurst in 2004, but the duo raced with Kelly’s #15, the car promoting the new Spider-Man film.
Murphy’s final win with the #51 came on the streets of Surfers Paradise in 2005.
He moved from Paul Weel Racing to Tasman Motorsport in 2007, and raced for Paul Morris in 2010. All seasons were completed with the #51.
Murphy takes Pukekohe victory in 2003
Murphy raced with the #11 when he joined Kelly Racing in 2011, but regained the #51 for his final full-time season in 2012.
However, his final season was punctuated by a back injury suffered in an accident in Adelaide.
Murphy was ruled out of the Symmons Plains and was replaced by David Russell. He suffered a relapse of his back injury ahead of Darwin, with Russell returning.
The Kellys called up 1997 Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve for Townsville, Queensland Raceway and Sydney Motorsport Park.
Murphy's last win with the #51 came in 2005 on the Gold Coast
Murphy’s final race finish with the #51 was a 27th in Abu Dhabi. He failed to finish the final five races of the 2012 season.
When Murphy rolls out for practice on the Thursday in Bathurst, it will have been exactly nine years to the day since he last used the #51 at Sydney Olympic Park.
Will the #51 bring him more like when he makes his first Bathurst start in seven years?
"The livery looks amazing. The kiwi combined with the Boost branding is awesome, it’s a car you really want to race," Murphy said of the wildcard livery.
Murphy's final start with the #51 came in 2012
"I know the fans are going to love it, especially the New Zealand fans. Anything that pays tribute to the Kiwis is going to be very well received.
"The reaction to this whole wildcard thing and the excitement around it has been incredible, so I think the fans will really appreciate the livery and want to see it on track.
"It’s also very humbling to see the #51 back on the car and on the grid."
The Repco Bathurst 1000 will be a six-day event, with race day on December 5.
Tickets for all four Sydney events are on sale now.
