Supercars legend Greg Murphy is ' Fanbassador' for next month's Adelaide 500. Photo / Dean Purcell
Supercars legend Greg Murphy is ' Fanbassador' for next month's Adelaide 500. Photo / Dean Purcell
Always big with Supercars fans, Kiwi motorsport legend Greg Murphy will be leading the fans when the Supercars title is decided in Adelaide next month.
The VAILO Adelaide 500 celebrates its 25th anniversary on November 14-17 and again will be the final round of the season, a position onthe calendar it has held since 2022.
Murphy raced in the inaugural event in 1999 finishing second behind eventual championship winner Craig Lowndes.
“Back then it set the standard for future Supercar events. It was such a significant part of the shift and change for the category and became what every other event wanted to be on the calendar. It really did transform Supercars and took it off on a whole new direction,” Murphy told Brian Kelly on the Country Sport Breakfast.
Murphy never won at Adelaide, managing three second placings, though Kiwis dominated a four-year-stretch recently with Shane van Gisbergen (2017-18) and Scott McLaughlin (2019-2020) leaving South Australia victorious.
“I think it’s just the thrill and the buzz, I was always a street circuit fan. I love street circuits. I love the challenges of not being able to make mistakes. I love being up close to the concrete walls using every single millimetre plus the chicanes,” Murphy said of the Adelaide Street Circuit.
The Adelaide Street Circuit is one of Greg Murphy's favourite tracks. Photo / Photosport
“Just the environment, the crowds were always up close to the concrete walls. Just an amazing vibe to get the chance to race on the temporary circuit.
“Adelaide obviously started back in 1985 with Formula One and it’s got a monster amount of history behind it. It became a Supercars event in 1999 and it’s never looked back.”
Murphy has been given the official role of “Fanbassador” for the event and is looking forward to heading to Adelaide without having to worry about performance on the track.
“I got asked if I wanted to come to Adelaide to be a part of the 25th celebrations of the great event and come and hang out and schmooze in the corporate suites, hang out with the fans, go to cool concerts, go to a speedway event on the Friday night inside the complex and just basically walk, enjoying myself. I thought about that for about 10 seconds or less and thought that sounds like me. I’ll go to Adelaide for the first time, without any stress-related activities and I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
The final round in Adelaide is set up to be a thriller in terms of deciding the Supercars champion.
Heading into the penultimate race this weekend on the Gold Coast, four drivers remain in contention for the title with Will Brown (2538 points), Broc Feeney (2334), Chaz Mostert (2313) and Cam Waters (2074) all jostling for the title.
Will Brown leads Broc Feeney in Melbourne. Photo / Photosport
“Cam Waters is probably on the fringe of falling off. He needs to have a great weekend, which he absolutely can have this weekend,” Murphy said.
“He could easily go out there and, and win those races and put the others under pressure. The Gold Coast delivers, you some real topsy-turvy results and that’s what I love about it. And that’s what is going to be exciting this weekend because the championship is still well alive and it’ll go down to the wire in Adelaide for sure.
“That’s what we want for the Adelaide 500 – to have an event where the championship is on the wire and celebrate it with one of the best events that you’ll ever go to.”
