“Before the race, we all thought we had the pace and the package to win but, after Lowndes hit us, I begun to think we might struggle. We thought we might have to pit to repair the damage, but decided to stay out as long as we could. The car was harder to drive, but we managed to stay in control. It says a lot about the car that, even with bent steering, we were able to push hard and do good lap times. We pushed hard all day and were supported well in the garage. It was a great team effort."
Second place was the Tasman-run team's first Bathurst podium since 2005, and Murphy's first since he took the last of his four wins there in 2004. Despite his obvious discontent with the Lowndes incident, the Kiwi remained ebullient over the result.
“This is absolutely massive,” Murphy admitted, “To be up here on the podium again is unbelievable - I can't believe we did it. Jason and the team did a sensational job, and it was fantastic to be able to chase down the leader. It's been a while since we've been able to do that, but the car was fast right through to the end.”
Getting past Richards was an important move for Murphy, not only because it elevated him to second, but also because it gave the Sprint Gas car some vital cool air as it battled both low fuel levels and an over-heating engine.
“We had just enough fuel to get us home, so when the safety cars came out it was a relief,” Murphy said, having been instructed to switch on the reserve, “It was a bit touch and go.
“Then the engine started to overheat and I had to nurse it. That was hard because I could see Richards, and then Lowndes, ahead of me. I did everything I could to chase them down, aware that the engine was struggling. We were lucky to get it home really.”
