Four-time Bathurst winner and Supercars commentator Greg Murphy has confirmed his entry into November’s Battle of Jacks Ridge as a driver.
The host of Sky Speed on Sky Sport has been an ambassador of the event since it was launched but has today confirmed he will also take part as a driver in his Holden Barina AP4 car.
Murphy had a distinguished career as a Supercars star and is an icon of the famous Bathurst 1000. But in the latter part of his career the Havelock North product made the switch to rallying, competing in the national championship in 2017 and 2018.
“Based on the fact I spent so much time on circuits, to go and do a different discipline like rallying was an incredible thrill and an amazing challenge and learning experience,” Murphy said.
“To completely change the way you approach driving a car is an amazing buzz and I just loved every minute of the rallying that I have done.
“Having a car sitting there, that I haven’t been able to sell, and having this event coming along and how cool it is going to be it was kind of a no-brainer that I needed to be involved in a competitive sense as well as the TV side of it as well.
“I can’t wait to get out and have a go – the road is just amazing. I am in awe of what the Hawkeswood team have managed to do.
“I think our country is incredibly fortunate to have it and have a huge amount of fun and give the fans something to really enjoy.”
Murphy made some real progress during the 2018 national championship season as he continued to work on the car and his driving. He put together some drives that turned heads and showed that he could match it with the best drivers in the country.
While his return at the Battle of Jacks Ridge is largely about having fun and being part of a great event, the competitive streak in the circuit racer is likely to take hold once he gets behind the when of the car.
“I probably am full of bullshit really when I say that because I did a rally sprint in the Hawke’s Bay over the week to give the Barina a run and straight away I got in the car and it all starts to come together and you start to push harder and get a vibe for driving the car and get more and more excited about it,” he explained.
“I ended up having an amazing day and pushing myself harder and harder. I had a hell of a dice with Jack Hawkeswood until the last run of the day.
“I will turn up to Jacks Ridge and tell everyone I am there for fun but once it gets going it is hard to control your natural urge.”
The Battle of Jacks Ridge will take place November 15 on former national champion Andrew Hawkeswood’s Whitford property, just 20 minutes from the Auckland CBD.
On a purpose-built WRC-calibre power stage, the best drivers in New Zealand will be tested with a challenging layout while providing spectators with incredible up-close viewing.
The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sport, with Murphy fronting as part of the coverage.
Tickets can be purchased via [enter link here].
The Battle of Jacks Ridge has attracted a who’s who of New Zealand Motorsport and will be broadcast live on Sky Sport on November 15.
Tickets can be purchased via Ticket Fairy.
