Four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy and compatriot Richie Stanaway made their return to the track almost one year to the day that they announced their comeback when Erebus Motorsport confirmed the pairing would field a Boost Mobile-backed wildcard at the Bathurst 1000.
The #51 wildcard rolled out a new-look test livery, after an initial design was unveiled last October to contest the 2021 running of the Great Race. The test at Winton Raceway marked the duo’s first time behind the wheel since their wildcard campaign was announced last June.
“The last couple of years in his (Stanaway’s) car racing career in Supercars were not enjoyable,” commented Murphy. “He walked away from it, and he’s now rejuvenated.
“The best thing that could’ve happened to him was stepping away and doing different things. Seeing him turn up and be straight in the groove, being a proper race car driver again and being enthusiastic… it’s been awesome to watch that.
“Even if nothing else happens at the end of this year, I think it’ll be a great way to sign off from a professional career. I feel there’s going to be more to his story than just the Repco Bathurst 1000 this year.”
Murphy returns to the field after an eight-year hiatus from racing and three years since stepping into a Supercar, meanwhile Stanaway makes his comeback since retiring from full-time competition at the end of 2019.
The test is the first of three official test days for the Bathurst wildcard, with two additional tests scheduled for August 16 and September 20. The 2022 Bathurst 1000 will run at Mount Panorama from October 6 – 9.
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