Motorsport: Ten to watch

Greg Murphy

51 Greg Murphy
Team: Supercheap Auto Racing - Commodore VZ
Age: 33
Born: Hastings

Has won four times at Bathurst, and at Pukekohe, where he is the defending champion. But the Supercars championship still eludes him after 10 years on the circuit. Bad crash at Adelaide in the first round this season hasn't helped his campaign start either. And life sure ain't the same without the tense duel between Murphy and Ford's championship winner Marcos Ambrose, who's now racing in the United States.


7 Steven Richards
Team: Jack Daniels Racing - Commodore VZ
Age: 33
Born: Auckland

Racing pedigree doesn't come any better when handed down from racing legend Jim Richards. His son has brought quick success and credibility to the Jack Daniels team in its first season as sponsor. But with Perkins Motorsport behind you, it'd be hard to go wrong. Richards has had 114 starts since debut at Eastern Creek in 1996, with four wins. Was a championship contender until a late run of horrors snuffed out hopes.


1 Russell Ingall
Team: Stone Brothers Racing - Falcon BA
Age: 42
Born: Britain

Brought the Stone brothers their third consecutive championship last season, Ingall's first after a decade of being a close-run thing. But the boys who grew up in Pukekohe have never won on their old home track. So the onus is on Ingall 'the Enforcer', who describes the Pukekohe circuit as "pretty short but terrifically exciting if you get it right". 


22 Todd Kelly
Team: Holden Racing - Commodore VZ
Age: 26
Born: Mildura, Victoria

Kelly had a ripper last season with successive round victories at the inaugural Shanghai round and Darwin as well as winning Bathurst with teammate Mark Skaife. Finished fourth in the championship. He's had 80 Supercar starts since his debut at Eastern Creek in 1999. Holden Racing have been flat out on repairs since Skaife barrelled into the wall at Adelaide last month.


3 Jason Richards
Racing Team: Tasman Motorsport Racing - Commodore VZ
Age: 30
Born: Nelson

Made his debut in 2000 with the single-car entry of Team Kiwi Racing then moved to Team Dynamik and now at Tasman. Set a lap record at Adelaide in the first round this season on his way to a top 10 finish after starting 31st on the grid. Led with 20 laps to go at Bathurst last year, only to be overtaken by Mark Skaife after the dust-up between Greg Murphy and Marcos Ambrose.


6 Jason Bright
Team: Ford Performance Racing - Falcon BA
Age: 33
Born: Moe, Victoria

Bright arrives as the only driver to have broken Greg Murphy's grip at Pukekohe. He won the event in 2004, winning two of the three races to take the round win, ahead of Marcos Ambrose and Murphy. Bright has never finished out of the top six at the Pukekohe round of Supercars. His teammate Mark Winterbottom explains the challenge of Pukekohe: "The entire field is spread out by one second across a short seven corner circuit, meaning that you have to get every single corner right all of the time to gain a good result." 


11 Paul Dumbrell
Team: Jack Daniels Racing - Commodore VZ
Age: 23
Born: Melbourne

Picked up a fifth in the non-championship round at the Melbourne Grand Prix last month. Dumbrell's part of the new wave of young drivers in the series but with Larry Perkins guiding the team there's years of experience to draw from. Has already clocked up 48 Supercar starts since debut in 1999 at Symmons Plains.


15 Rick Kelly
Team: Toll HSV Dealer Team - Commodore VZ
Age: 23
Born: Mildura, Victoria

Younger brother of Holden Racing's Todd. Rick's car has been rebuilt foreward of the firewall after he took a shunt at the Melbourne Grand Prix. He collected 305 points in the first round at Adelaide and is just five behind series leader Jamie Whincup. Kelly says he "loves" Pukekohe: "It's such a mixture, with a long straight finishing at a tight hairpin - one of the tightest corners in V8 Supercars - but then two fast, flowing corners coming on to pit straight."


88 Jamie Whincup
Team: Team Betta Electrical - BA Falcon
Age: 23
Born: Melbourne

Championship leader and a key hope for Ford to show the way this weekend. Shared the drive with Jason Richards to come second at Bathurst last year. Won his maiden race at Adelaide four weeks ago.


2 Mark Skaife
Team: Holden Racing - Commodore VZ
Age: 39
Born: Gosford, NSW

The most successful championship driver in the pack with five titles. Moved to the Holden Racing Team in 1997 after the retirement of Peter Brock. He's also a five-times winner at Bathurst, including last year. Comes to Pukekohe without any points after smashes at Adelaide but if he can finish races this weekend is sure to be right back in the frame.