He may have cemented his position as the undisputed King of Pukekohe during the weekend, but that's nothing compared with the esteem in which Greg Murphy is held in his old stamping ground of Hawke's Bay.
For the second time in his stellar career, the boy from Havelock North wowed motor
racing fans here and around Australasia with his clean sweep of the three-race V8 Supercar round at Pukekohe Raceway.
That made it an amazing four wins out of the five to have been staged at the south Auckland track for the driver whose parents still live in the village.
With his army of fans at the track cheering his every word and gesture, along with thousands back in Hawke's Bay watching on television, Murphy reflected on what it meant to win on home soil with the cream of Australia's driving talent choking on the fumes from his incomparable Holden engine.
"I'm rapt. I had a very strong car all weekend and I just really enjoyed it," he said.
"There was a huge turnout of fans and that made me feel really good about it. They get one chance each year and they make the most of it.
"I think it's a great track and if other things don't eventuate, I can't see why we can't come back next year."
