October 10, 2025 • 10 mins
Petrolheads are flocking to Bathurst for the biggest weekend in Australasian motorsport.
The Bathurst 1000 kicks off this weekend over the ditch in Australia.
Few people know the race better than 4-time winner Greg Murphy, who claimed the victory in 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2004.
The race is reliant on luck, a million tiny factors the difference between winning and losing, Murphy telling Piney there’s so many things that can go wrong.
“You've got to try and dot a lot of I's and cross a lot of T's, and when one of those things isn't quite right, you're not going to win the race.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So all roads lead to Mount Panorama this weekend for
the great Race, the Bathurst one thousand from one forty
five tomorrow afternoon, New Zealand time. It's hard enough to
win one of these Bathurst one thousands. Many top drivers
never win it. Greg Murphy won at four times nineteen
ninety six, nineteen ninety nine, two thousand and three and
(00:33):
then in two thousand and four as well.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I'm calling a little early, perhaps because this is after
all Mount Panorama, but not long to go now for
Greg Murphy, Rick Kelly. The team will be keeping their
fingers crossed, rising to their feet, heading towards the apron,
the raw going up everywhere. Now the lights are flashing
for Murphy.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It's a great job, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It's just that a fantastic job here. Well done, Greg Murphy.
You can hear the chairs inside and outside the car.
It's Murphy and Kelly make it two and a.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Row, Muky make Weld gone. Great drive.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, that is the the two thousand and four victory
at the Bathurst one thousand for Greg Murphy, who joins
us now from Bathurst, where he's obviously working over the
weekend in various capacities. Greg, thanks for taking our call.
Nineteen ninety six, nineteen ninety nine, two thousand and three,
two thousand and four. Does any of the four stand
out above the others?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
No, No, they don't. I mean the significance or sorry,
there is significance with all of them for various different reasons,
so any I just would never want to try and
put them in an order, and I don't think anyone
that's won multiple races here at the Mountain would do that.
The challenge of winning it is always the same, and
(01:48):
there's so many things over one hundred and sixty one
laps one thousand kilometers that can go wrong, So you know,
they've all got their own stories with so.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Much to think about, as you say, with so many
potential things that can go wrong, what's the best way
to prepare for Bathurst?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Well, there's a lot of preparation and it starts really
with obviously the team doing everything that they can to
ensure that you know, the race car that's been presented,
you know, has had every single nutt and bolt and
every opportunity to check and make sure, you know, no
stone has been left unturned and no bolt's been left loose,
(02:28):
you know. So it's about experience too. It's it's knowing
how to control a race like that, being prepared for
strategy and then you know, so many parts of that
process as a team, and then the drivers. Again, experience
is such a big part of success at the Mountain,
you know, and knowing your role. You know, obviously co
drivers come and play a big huge part of that,
(02:49):
and having a great combination having a lead driver who's
got confidence to be able to qualify the car and
be that driver that's going to have to be in
the car for you know, well over a couple of
hours at the end of the race and be physically prepared,
and a co driver that understands what their role is
to to do the laps that they've got to do,
you know, keep the car on the racetrack, not make mistakes,
(03:10):
and hand it over to the lead driver in good
condition and a good position. So you know, there's just
you've got to try and do a lot of eyes
and cross a lot of t's and when one of
those things isn't quite right, you're not going to win
the race.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You speak about co drivers. You're won it with Craig Lounds,
with Stephen Richards and twice with Rick Kelly. Is there
a pre planned percentage of the lapse greg that you
each do and can and does that change as the
race unfolds?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
Yeah, it can change. I mean there's a minimum requirement
for the co drivers to do fifty five I think
it is fifty five laps here at Bathurst, so you
know that one driver is obviously not dominating, But depending
on strategy, depending on safety cars when they arrive, all
sorts of things can mean that a co driver can
be in a car for a lot more than what
(03:59):
is planned. And that's when the combination of lead driver
co driver is so important and can make the big difference.
So when you've got a cod driver that's running around
doing lap times that are the same or just even
just slightly flowered than the main guy, you have an
ability to open up your strategy and not be so
locked into how you're planning your race. So that's a
(04:23):
critical one and there's some obviously some superb combinations out
there that have that luxury. In tomorrow's race, you drove.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
What many still consider to be the greatest single lap
ever completed Atmount Panorama Top ten shootout two thousand and three,
the Lap of the Gods, as they called it. No
one had ever gone under two minutes eight John bo
did and then you went over a second faster two
six point eight five nine four seconds. What is going
through your mind during that one hundred and twenty six seconds?
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah, I mean the shootout, the qualifying session yesterday and
Friday afternoon, which turned out to me and absolute hunting,
the closest in history. It was just I couldn't believe it. Literally,
it's the definition of unbelievable what we saw standing qualifying.
You know, it's the biggest qualifying session of the year,
and then we have the biggest shootout of the year,
(05:13):
and I just it's a it's a moment, it's a
period of the of the weekend that I just love,
I can't wait for, because you're on this amazing piece
of ash felt all by yourself, looking to try and
do a fast the fastest that you can, to be
on pole position at the greatest race, and you know,
it's a privilege to have that opportunity to do it.
So when you get that chance, you make the most
(05:34):
of it. And you know, every opportunity I got wasn't
too many, but I got to do it a few times.
You know, I was there to give it my all
and you know, try and put it on pole and
not think about the race on Sunday, think about the
moment that you've been given to to do a hot lap,
shootout lap at batits.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
How much trust do you have to have in the car.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
You have to have absolute trust. And I every time
I've got in a car here to do a shootout lap,
I've had that and sometimes it's been you know, good
enough to put it on the front row. And but
you have to you know that the confidence you've got
to have in that vehicle, and that comes with the
preparation before you get to Bathist and all the racing
(06:20):
during the year. But then when you get to Bathfist,
you know it's having that trust is about what you've
done and the lead up, but then what you do
in practice and the confidence that you build with the machine,
with your engineers to hopefully have the best prepared and
the fastest car so that you can go and put
it all on the line.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
A lot of excitement around about can we driver Matt
Pain at the moment currently seek ind in the overall
Supercars Championship, but he'll start from eighteenth tomorrow. Is that
too far back to contend or not?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
No, it's not. It get it gets to a stage
depending on their car speed and depending on you know,
how how tough the competition is ahead of you. When
it comes to race pace. You know there's a moment
where you set it slipping away, but certainly at the
(07:11):
beginning of the race a thousand kilometers ahead, before the
first couple of pit stop cycles happen and before you
work out you know what kind of pace you've got
in the car. It's still a very much reality, especially
considering it's Matt Pain and his co driver Garthtander, who's
obviously had huge success here on the mountain, and that's
(07:35):
going to be a critical critical component component of them
being able to become a contender by the end of
the race. So too very experience or he's very experienced, Garthtander.
Matt Pain is showing experience beyond his years. So you
know they'll be coming up with a plan, probably go
off strategy in some way, shape or form, to try
and find a way to build speed and make ground
(07:57):
without traffic around them and then find themselves back into
the you know. So you know, safety cars give us
and they take it away all positions. They can change
your day when it looks like your day is done,
so you know they will not be giving up until
obviously the last light.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
We do have a key we in the top ten
shootout though tonight Ryan Wood qualified third fastest. What have
you seen from him during practice and.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Qualifying calmness for most of it? He has shown speed
out the gate was p. One in the first practicession
of the weekend on Thursday. Just has been in tune
with the track and in tune with the car, the team.
Everything has been working really well as confidence is really
(08:44):
good at the moment, and that's what you've got to have.
So you know, for a kid that's only been here
a couple of times and this is only his second
Baptist one thousand and two, have been showing the speed
that he has proves that you know he's going to
be a future future star and a potential Bathtist winner.
So you know, he and Jayden know Jada make another
superb combination even though their experience isn't there, their working
(09:08):
relationship together and the speed they've both been showing means
that you know they without doubt a contended on come
Sunday's race.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Can you see Matt Payin and Ryan Wore emulating the
Supercars feats of Scotty McLoughlin and Shane van Gisbergen before
they shifted their careers to IndyCar and NASCAR in the US.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
I totally can yes. I think I think both those
both these young keywis have have got the traits of
of those two drivers and have you know, the the
X factor and the wherewithal two and they're the work
ability and commitments to be able to make it and
win multiple championships in this in the Supercars Championship without doubt.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And I've got a massive weekend to here. Greg, appreciate
you taking the time for a chat. Do you still
get a bit of excitement though you've been there so
many times when you hear noises like we've just heard there,
do you still get a bit excited about this?
Speaker 4 (10:01):
I wouldn't becoming back here if I didn't still get
a buzz for it. You know, it's a it still
is a privilege to be able to come and be
a part of this event regardless if I'm driving or not,
so you know, without doubt, I still get a shiver
down the spine and it is a wonderful place to
come being with fans this week I'm working with repcod
(10:21):
on a whole lot of activation and the passion for
the sport, but also the passion for this event is
as certainly hasn't changed in the time that I've been
coming here.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
It's amazing, brilliant stuff. Really appreciate your time, Greg, thanks
for taking the call. No thanks, no thank you. That
is Greg Murphy from Bathurst full time winner key We
Motorsport Icon. Of course, great to have him on the
show and no doubt it'll be involved in the coverage
that is available across the weekend as well as his
commitments with REPCO and others.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So all roads lead to Mount Panorama this weekend for
the great Race, the Bathurst one thousand from one forty
five tomorrow afternoon, New Zealand time. It's hard enough to
win one of these Bathurst one thousands. Many top drivers
never win it. Greg Murphy won at four times nineteen
ninety six, nineteen ninety nine, two thousand and three and
(00:33):
then in two thousand and four as well.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
I'm calling a little early, perhaps because this is after
all Mount Panorama, but not long to go now for
Greg Murphy, Rick Kelly. The team will be keeping their
fingers crossed, rising to their feet, heading towards the apron,
the raw going up everywhere. Now the lights are flashing
for Murphy.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
It's a great job, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It's just that a fantastic job here. Well done, Greg Murphy.
You can hear the chairs inside and outside the car.
It's Murphy and Kelly make it two and a.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Row, Muky make Weld gone. Great drive.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, that is the the two thousand and four victory
at the Bathurst one thousand for Greg Murphy, who joins
us now from Bathurst, where he's obviously working over the
weekend in various capacities. Greg, thanks for taking our call.
Nineteen ninety six, nineteen ninety nine, two thousand and three,
two thousand and four. Does any of the four stand
out above the others?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
No, No, they don't. I mean the significance or sorry,
there is significance with all of them for various different reasons,
so any I just would never want to try and
put them in an order, and I don't think anyone
that's won multiple races here at the Mountain would do that.
The challenge of winning it is always the same, and
(01:48):
there's so many things over one hundred and sixty one
laps one thousand kilometers that can go wrong, So you know,
they've all got their own stories with so.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Much to think about, as you say, with so many
potential things that can go wrong, what's the best way
to prepare for Bathurst?
Speaker 4 (02:04):
Well, there's a lot of preparation and it starts really
with obviously the team doing everything that they can to
ensure that you know, the race car that's been presented,
you know, has had every single nutt and bolt and
every opportunity to check and make sure, you know, no
stone has been left unturned and no bolt's been left loose,
(02:28):
you know. So it's about experience too. It's it's knowing
how to control a race like that, being prepared for
strategy and then you know, so many parts of that
process as a team, and then the drivers. Again, experience
is such a big part of success at the Mountain,
you know, and knowing your role. You know, obviously co
drivers come and play a big huge part of that,
(02:49):
and having a great combination having a lead driver who's
got confidence to be able to qualify the car and
be that driver that's going to have to be in
the car for you know, well over a couple of
hours at the end of the race and be physically prepared,
and a co driver that understands what their role is
to to do the laps that they've got to do,
you know, keep the car on the racetrack, not make mistakes,
(03:10):
and hand it over to the lead driver in good
condition and a good position. So you know, there's just
you've got to try and do a lot of eyes
and cross a lot of t's and when one of
those things isn't quite right, you're not going to win
the race.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
You speak about co drivers. You're won it with Craig Lounds,
with Stephen Richards and twice with Rick Kelly. Is there
a pre planned percentage of the lapse greg that you
each do and can and does that change as the
race unfolds?
Speaker 4 (03:37):
Yeah, it can change. I mean there's a minimum requirement
for the co drivers to do fifty five I think
it is fifty five laps here at Bathurst, so you
know that one driver is obviously not dominating, But depending
on strategy, depending on safety cars when they arrive, all
sorts of things can mean that a co driver can
be in a car for a lot more than what
(03:59):
is planned. And that's when the combination of lead driver
co driver is so important and can make the big difference.
So when you've got a cod driver that's running around
doing lap times that are the same or just even
just slightly flowered than the main guy, you have an
ability to open up your strategy and not be so
locked into how you're planning your race. So that's a
(04:23):
critical one and there's some obviously some superb combinations out
there that have that luxury. In tomorrow's race, you drove.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
What many still consider to be the greatest single lap
ever completed Atmount Panorama Top ten shootout two thousand and three,
the Lap of the Gods, as they called it. No
one had ever gone under two minutes eight John bo
did and then you went over a second faster two
six point eight five nine four seconds. What is going
through your mind during that one hundred and twenty six seconds?
Speaker 4 (04:51):
Yeah, I mean the shootout, the qualifying session yesterday and
Friday afternoon, which turned out to me and absolute hunting,
the closest in history. It was just I couldn't believe it. Literally,
it's the definition of unbelievable what we saw standing qualifying.
You know, it's the biggest qualifying session of the year,
and then we have the biggest shootout of the year,
(05:13):
and I just it's a it's a moment, it's a
period of the of the weekend that I just love,
I can't wait for, because you're on this amazing piece
of ash felt all by yourself, looking to try and
do a fast the fastest that you can, to be
on pole position at the greatest race, and you know,
it's a privilege to have that opportunity to do it.
So when you get that chance, you make the most
(05:34):
of it. And you know, every opportunity I got wasn't
too many, but I got to do it a few times.
You know, I was there to give it my all
and you know, try and put it on pole and
not think about the race on Sunday, think about the
moment that you've been given to to do a hot lap,
shootout lap at batits.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
How much trust do you have to have in the car.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
You have to have absolute trust. And I every time
I've got in a car here to do a shootout lap,
I've had that and sometimes it's been you know, good
enough to put it on the front row. And but
you have to you know that the confidence you've got
to have in that vehicle, and that comes with the
preparation before you get to Bathist and all the racing
(06:20):
during the year. But then when you get to Bathfist,
you know it's having that trust is about what you've
done and the lead up, but then what you do
in practice and the confidence that you build with the machine,
with your engineers to hopefully have the best prepared and
the fastest car so that you can go and put
it all on the line.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
A lot of excitement around about can we driver Matt
Pain at the moment currently seek ind in the overall
Supercars Championship, but he'll start from eighteenth tomorrow. Is that
too far back to contend or not?
Speaker 4 (06:51):
No, it's not. It get it gets to a stage
depending on their car speed and depending on you know,
how how tough the competition is ahead of you. When
it comes to race pace. You know there's a moment
where you set it slipping away, but certainly at the
(07:11):
beginning of the race a thousand kilometers ahead, before the
first couple of pit stop cycles happen and before you
work out you know what kind of pace you've got
in the car. It's still a very much reality, especially
considering it's Matt Pain and his co driver Garthtander, who's
obviously had huge success here on the mountain, and that's
(07:35):
going to be a critical critical component component of them
being able to become a contender by the end of
the race. So too very experience or he's very experienced, Garthtander.
Matt Pain is showing experience beyond his years. So you
know they'll be coming up with a plan, probably go
off strategy in some way, shape or form, to try
and find a way to build speed and make ground
(07:57):
without traffic around them and then find themselves back into
the you know. So you know, safety cars give us
and they take it away all positions. They can change
your day when it looks like your day is done,
so you know they will not be giving up until
obviously the last light.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
We do have a key we in the top ten
shootout though tonight Ryan Wood qualified third fastest. What have
you seen from him during practice and.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Qualifying calmness for most of it? He has shown speed
out the gate was p. One in the first practicession
of the weekend on Thursday. Just has been in tune
with the track and in tune with the car, the team.
Everything has been working really well as confidence is really
(08:44):
good at the moment, and that's what you've got to have.
So you know, for a kid that's only been here
a couple of times and this is only his second
Baptist one thousand and two, have been showing the speed
that he has proves that you know he's going to
be a future future star and a potential Bathtist winner.
So you know, he and Jayden know Jada make another
superb combination even though their experience isn't there, their working
(09:08):
relationship together and the speed they've both been showing means
that you know they without doubt a contended on come
Sunday's race.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Can you see Matt Payin and Ryan Wore emulating the
Supercars feats of Scotty McLoughlin and Shane van Gisbergen before
they shifted their careers to IndyCar and NASCAR in the US.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
I totally can yes. I think I think both those
both these young keywis have have got the traits of
of those two drivers and have you know, the the
X factor and the wherewithal two and they're the work
ability and commitments to be able to make it and
win multiple championships in this in the Supercars Championship without doubt.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
And I've got a massive weekend to here. Greg, appreciate
you taking the time for a chat. Do you still
get a bit of excitement though you've been there so
many times when you hear noises like we've just heard there,
do you still get a bit excited about this?
Speaker 4 (10:01):
I wouldn't becoming back here if I didn't still get
a buzz for it. You know, it's a it still
is a privilege to be able to come and be
a part of this event regardless if I'm driving or not,
so you know, without doubt, I still get a shiver
down the spine and it is a wonderful place to
come being with fans this week I'm working with repcod
(10:21):
on a whole lot of activation and the passion for
the sport, but also the passion for this event is
as certainly hasn't changed in the time that I've been
coming here.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
It's amazing, brilliant stuff. Really appreciate your time, Greg, thanks
for taking the call. No thanks, no thank you. That
is Greg Murphy from Bathurst full time winner key We
Motorsport Icon. Of course, great to have him on the
show and no doubt it'll be involved in the coverage
that is available across the weekend as well as his
commitments with REPCO and others.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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