Murphy and Super Cheap Auto Racing cleansweep Pukekohe finale
19/4/2005 14:14 (Press Release) -
Greg Murphy has brushed aside the opposition to take victory at the Placemakers V8 International at Pukekohe Raceway Park in New Zealand today, the hometown Kiwi hero clean-sweeping all three races in his Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden VZ Commodore.
The win was Murphy’s fourth in five visits for the series to NZ, having won three in a row from 2001-’03, while it was Super Cheap Auto Racing’s (nee PWR) second international round victory in succession, after Jason Bright broke Murphy’s stranglehold on the event last year.
“There couldn’t have been a better send off for Pukekohe, which has been such a special place for me and my career,” Murphy said of the track which is expected to have held its last V8 Supercar championship round as series promoter AVESCO looks to a street race in Wellington.
“I am wrapt at what we’ve already been able to achieve with this new Super Cheap team and this weekend has been nothing short of sensational. The car was consistent, the pit stops were sensational – I felt like the car didn’t even stop both times today, the PWR crew were that fast – and we had the on-track pace to handle whatever anyone threw at us.”
In addition to Murphy’s success, team-mate Paul Weel has again raced brilliantly to comeback from a low qualifying position (24th) to finish equal seventh for the weekend, Weel moving to third in series points as Holden’s leading driver.
Weel’s points haul would have even been greater had it not been for being shuffled back five spots when a Safety Car was called out in the third race in a situation similar to what happened at the penultimate round of the 2004 series at Symmons Plains.
“After having fought back from a low qualifying spot to be right up in the points it was very, very frustrating to just have those places and points disappear through absolutely no fault of our own,” Weel said.
“Rather than get too upset, I just had to put my head down again, and I’m pretty happy we were able to get back a few spots. We’ve worked hard and our race pace is as good as anyone’s out there, as is our strategy and stops. Third in the championship is terrific reward for our efforts and as this team continues to gel together and grow in confidence I don’t think this is the last you’ll be seeing of the two Super Cheap Commodores.”
The final race at Pukekohe, in which Murphy claimed his ninth points race win at the venue, was marred by a spectacular accident involving Craig Baird’s Falcon and Paul Dumbrell’s Commodore – the resulting red flag meaning the final 16 laps of the race were completed in the dark.
PLACEMAKERS V8 INTERNATIONAL – RACE 2 RESULTS
1. Greg Murphy, Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VZ
2. Russell Ingall, Caltex Racing Falcon BA
3. Marcos Ambrose, Pirtek Falcon BA
4. Mark Skaife, Holden Racing Team Commodore VZ
5. Craig Lowndes, Betta Electrical Falcon BA
6. Paul Radisich, Team Kiwi Holden Commodore VZ
7. Steve Ellery, Betta Electrical Falcon BA
8. Steven Richards, Castrol Team Perkins Holden Commodore VZ
9. Paul Weel, Super Cheap Auto Racing Commodore VZ
10. John Bowe, BOC Gases Falcon BA
PLACEMAKERS V8 INTERNATIONAL – RACE 3 RESULTS
1. Greg Murphy, Super Cheap Auto Racing Holden Commodore VZ
2. Russell Ingall, Caltex Racing Falcon BA
3. Steven Richards, Castrol Team Perkins Holden Commodore VZ
4. Marcos Ambrose, Pirtek Falcon BA
5. Mark Skaife, Holden Racing Team Commodore VZ
6. Paul Radisich, Team Kiwi Holden Commodore VZ
7. Jason Bright, CAT Falcon BA
8. John Bowe, BOC Gases Falcon BA
9. Garth Tander, HSV Dealer Team Holden Commodore VZ
10. Paul Weel, Super Cheap Auto Racing Commodore VZ
OVERALL ROUND RESULTS: 1. Greg Murphy 192; 2. Russell Ingall 186; 3. Marcos Ambrose, Mark Skaife 174; 5. Paul Radisich 162; 6. Jason Bright 148; 7. John Bowe, Paul Weel 138; 9. Steve Ellery 132; Steven Richards 120.
CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after two of 13 rounds): 1. Ambrose 366; 2. Ingall 324; 3. Weel 279; 4. Lowndes 277; 5. Murphy 273; 6. Skaife 264; 7. Radisich 261; 8. Bright 256; 9. T. Kelly 252; 10. S. Richards 225
Release Date: 17/04/2005
Super Cheap Auto Racing - PWR
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