By BOB PEARCE
Greg Murphy reckons if he can win the Pukekohe round of the V8 Supercar championship for the third time in a row this weekend, he should never come back.
"Statistically the odds on it probably aren't great," he said in Auckland yesterday. "We've got a pretty good car at the moment, but you can't pre-empt what might happen.
"There are so many things outside your control. Who would have thought that last year half the field was going to get a puncture because of a stake in the ground.
"I'd like to be able to do it, but I'm not going to get cocky about it. It's going to be a task and a half. If I can pull that off I don't think I should ever come back because expectations are too high now.
"I'm looking forward to it. It's a really pressure race for me. You really want to do well and it would be disappointing to not be able to do well for the crowd."
Murphy will be driving the Kmart Holden Commodore in which he won the Bathurst 1000 with team-mate Rick Kelly. The car and driver combination proved ideal for that circuit, particularly during his incredible record lap in the top-10 shootout.
The Kiwi's performance in the three races, which make up the Pukekohe round, will be crucial to his chances of winning the Supercar championship for the first time.
He is 72 points behind Ford driver Marcos Ambrose with two rounds to go, Pukekohe and the finale at Eastern Creek. With only a six-point differential between placings, Murphy needs victories, while hoping for Ambrose to be off the pace.
"There's nothing I can do except the best I can," he said. "I've won only one round, while Ambrose has won five. The points system has kept me in the running, but it will more than likely keep me out of the title."
The 34 V8 Supercars, which have been shipped from Queensland, will take to the track for the first time on Friday at 10am. They will qualify later that day for the top-10 shootout and 100km race on Saturday and two 150km races on Sunday.
There will also be races at the weekend for Porsches, Super GTs, Formula Fords and New Zealand V8s.
Motorsport: Murphy revs up for hat-trick bid
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