New era, same fight: Murphy backs Kiwi stars to write new chapter

A young kid born in Hastings, New Zealand watched Jim Richards tear around race tracks. That kid chose to follow his motorsport dream.

That kid turned around to be Greg Murphy.

Later, young kids born in Auckland and Christchurch grew up watching Murphy take on Aussie V8 heroes. Those kids grew up to be Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin.

Now, two Aucklanders and a Wellingtonian are currently following in the footsteps of those above. They are Matt Payne, Andre Heimgartner and Ryan Wood.

New Zealand is a small country of 5.3 million people, yet continues to produce superstar after superstar. The current Kiwi Supercars crop boasts a Bathurst winner in Payne, and multiple race winners in Heimgartner and Wood.

Their exploits in Supercars, which is tackling a double header in New Zealand for the first time, have the power to inspire the next waves of Kiwi stars, according to one of Aotearoa’s finest.

“It gives those who aspire, and those that are coming through the ranks, the inspiration for a potential career,” four-time Bathurst winner Murphy told Supercars.com.

“These guys are the inspiration for kids now, just as I was many years ago, and the likes of Jim Richards was to me. Scotty Mac and Shane were heroes for many as well.

“It’s a generational story that I feel very fortunate to be a part of. Now it's these guys that the young karters are looking to and wanting to emulate.

"It's quite incredible that we’ve got this continuous feed of drivers who are achieving at such a high level."

Eras change, but the determination remains the same

New Zealand ranks 122nd for population size in the world, yet continues to punch above its weight when it comes to motorsport.

New Zealand has delivered a Formula 1 world championship, 12 F1 Grand Prix wins, seven Le Mans 24 Hours wins, six IndyCar titles, and an Indianapolis 500 win.

Kiwis have dominated in Supercars, combining for 20 Bathurst 1000 wins and 11 ATCC/Supercars championships.

A total of 15 different Kiwi drivers have won 237 races, led by van Gisbergen (80 wins), McLaughlin (56) and Murphy (28).

The Payne/Wood/Heimgartner era combines for only 11 wins, yet there’s a feeling that — despite Payne already winning Bathurst, the Jason Richards Trophy, and Adelaide twice — these drivers have barely scratched the surface of their potential.

Frighteningly, at ages 23 and 22, Supercars records seem to be forming an orderly queue for Payne and Wood's delectation.

What hasn’t changed, versus Richards’ era, Murphy’s era and the van Gisbergen/McLaughlin era, is how Kiwi drivers have to come up against the very best of Australia, and try to win.

"I think it's all very relative. The competition all the way through has been there in its droves,” said Murphy, when asked how each era compares.

“We've had to go up against other heroes. I got to race against Peter Brock, Larry Perkins, Dick Johnson, John Bowe, all those guys were legends. That's what was so special to me.

“So, I think the next generation behind Woody, Matt and Andre, if they get the chance to actually race against their heroes too, that’s something that's hard to actually fathom.

“Seeing what Scott did and Shane did, it sends shivers down my spine watching them achieve their stuff now.

“Moving forward, I think that'll be that'll be how these guys feel when they see the next generation of young Kiwis chasing through and following in their footsteps.”

Wood leads the Jason Richards Trophy points heading to this weekend’s ITM Christchurch Super 440.