I was stabbed in the back: Murphy
13/1/2001 14:21 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - For the second time in his career, Greg Murphy has been left out in the cold in terms of a V8 Supercar contract – and he’s not happy.
An enraged Murphy has spoken out about the betrayal he felt from Fred Gibson and Craig Lowndes, leaving him without a drive just weeks before the start of the season.
“I am obviously very disappointed about the whole deal and feel very angry that the loyalty showed by me has been completely ignored,” an incensed Murphy wrote on his Web Site this week.
Both he and Steven Richards were told their services were no longer required after Fred Gibson took back the reigns of Gibson Motorsport and set about making a deal with Ford and Lowndes.
Richards was fortunate to stitch up an eleventh-hour contract with Ford-Tickford Racing for 2001 and beyond. Murphy, however, has been left drive-less.
Ironically, Murphy was displaced from his Holden Racing Team seat in 1998 when Craig Lowndes returned to Australia after a failed European Formula 3000 campaign.
“Fred Gibson bought the team back, which he had only sold 12 months earlier and immediately put the plans of a Ford/Craig Lowndes deal into place, which did not include places for Steve or myself,” the 28-year-old New Zealander explained.
“Steve and I were positive about 2001 and we had been promised a lot for the coming season, so, when the announcement of the sale of the team was made we were both shocked and extremely angry.”
“We had both given our full support for 2001 and therefore I felt I had been stabbed in the back,” he said.
Remarkably, Murphy also savaged his former friend and teammate Craig Lowndes, whose talent, he says, doesn’t justify the hype.
“I feel that the Craig Lowndes saga has gone on way too long and that he has got carried away in the media frenzy believing he is so much better than every other driver out there at the moment and that everyone should hang on his every move,” Murphy said.
“Thanks to Craig's new deal I am having to try and put a deal together at the last minute so I can be racing this year. Not quite the perfect build up to a new season,” he said.
Murphy is adamant his contract with Gibson has not expired, and includes the 2001 season. Gibson denies that fact.
Because of the contract, Murphy says he has knocked-back several offers to join rival teams in favour of staying loyal to Gibson. But now, with his seat pulled from under him, Murphy is left with no drive and few options.
It is believed Don Panoz has offered the Kiwi selected drives in the American Le Mans Series, which Murphy will consider if a Supercar drive doesn’t materialise. Television commentary work, which kept him occupied during his Holden Racing Team lay off, may be a last-resort option.
“At this stage I am not sure what the outcome is going to be for 2001, but I have the support of many people and we are working on a solution as fast as we can,” Murphy said.
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