Motorsport: Murphy chases Bathurst hat-trick

Greg Murphy is shooting for three wins in a row at Bathurst on Sunday to set records for Holden and to dash some Ford ambitions.

The Bathurst 1000 over the 6.213km Mt Panorama circuit, three hours west of Sydney, is about the rivalry between Holden and Ford on and off the track with the 180,000 spectators expected over the weekend fiercely behind their preferred manufacturer.

If Murphy, the pride of Hawkes Bay but also Australia's favourite Kiwi, wins on Sunday he will become only the fourth driver after Peter Brock (1978-79-80 and 1982-83-84), fellow Kiwi Jim Richards (1978-79-80) and Larry Perkins (1982-83-84) to have a hat-trick of wins.

Victory for Murphy's Super Cheap Commodore would also give Holden its seventh win in a row. A Ford hasn't won since Jason Bright and Steven Richards topped the podium in 1998.

For the past two years Murphy has teamed with Aussie Rick Kelly. Sharing the car this year will be Paul Weel. The pair were in a potentially winning position at the Sandown 500 last month when mechanical failure ended their chances.

Ford, and particularly Marcos Ambrose, the reigning V8 Supercar champion, will be out to break the Holden stranglehold. Last year the next six places after Murphy and Kelly were filled by Ford Falcons.

Second was former championship winner Craig Lowndes and perennial runner-up Glenn Seton. Lowndes comes into Sunday's race on a high after he and European star Yvan Muller won the Sandown 500.

Ambrose has won the last two Supercar series championships and is on course to win a third, but he has never won Bathurst. He has indicated that he will move to the United States to try to break into Nascar at the end of this season.

Last year he was fourth behind Murphy and he teams this time with Warren Luff in a Stone Brothers Ford. Second in the championship is his team-mate Russell Ingall, who is paired with Luke Youlden. Ingall won at Bathurst in 1995 and 1997 with Larry Perkins in a Holden.

Two strong drivers are needed for a result over the testing 1000km and perhaps the strongest combination this year will be four-time winner Mark Skaife and Todd Kelly in a Holden Racing Team Commodore.

Team Kiwi, which has punched above its weight on the mountain, will team Paul Radisich with Aussie Paul Morris in a co-operative deal between two teams. They managed a commendable eighth place at Sandown despite an engine failure.

Radisich will be 43 on Sunday and it will be the first time he has celebrated his birthday on race day at Bathurst after 14 previous starts in the event.

"I've been second at Bathurst on two occasions, and if Paul and I can take the extra step up on the podium and win this year it would be the perfect birthday present," said Radisich.

"We should be in with a shot at it this year with the support of a good team, a strong car, and two drivers who race regularly in the championship."

Radisich shares a birthday with Todd Kelly, who will be 26, but only one can have the perfect present.

Best of the Kiwis at Sandown was Jason Richards, who finished third with Jamie Whincup in a Team Dodo Holden.

Of the others with New Zealand links, Jim Richards will make his 34th start in a Holden Racing team car with James Courtney, son Steve will share a Perkins Holden with Paul Dumbrell and Craig Baird will team with David Besnard in a Ford.

Simon Wills, recovered from a heavy crash at Sandown, will share a Holden with Max Wilson and Kayne Scott will be in the team's other car with fellow Kiwi Mark Porter, who is also contesting the V8 development races.

John Faulkner will share the second Team Kiwi car with Alan Gurr.