Le Mans 24 Hours - Murphy: Primed and Ready

The #48 Murphy Prototypes Oreca 03 will line upon the third row in LMP2 for tomorrow’s 80th edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours. That equates to 19th overall in a field of 56, and it seems to suit the team well.

“We ran through our pre-race programme, and ticked off everything on the list,” said Greg Murphy. “I know I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating - we’re here for the long term, and if Warren had found a clear lap and set a quicker qualifying time, then good on him, but if not, no matter. We’re happy with where we are; we’ve got three brilliant drivers and they tell us they’re delighted with the way the car feels. It’s down to them now.”

The drivers; Warren Hughes, Jody Firth and Brendon Hartley, do indeed seem to be very happy with the car, and share a remarkably relaxed attitude to the challenge they face. “Absolutely honestly, it’s the best the car has ever been,” insists Jody Firth, the “gentleman driver” in the Murphy line-up.  “It’s well balanced, safe to go into the race, and it’s a set-up that doesn’t degrade the tyres. We think we should be able to triple-stint fairly consistently, and we could even be looking at quadruple stinting if possible.”

During the first qualifying session on Wednesday, Warren Hughes had posted a time that set the #48 on provisional pole for a fair proportion of the evening, and was only knocked off the top slot fairly late in the day. On Thursday that time stood the team well, and gave them a starting position that leaves the experienced Geordie - who will have to begin the race under LMP2 regulations – well placed to govern the opening laps.

“We decided on Wednesday to put a banker in, just in case the weather turned and it rained on Thursday,” explained Jody. “From then on, we decided not to go for anything quicker, so there was never any intention of attempting a better qualifying lap last night. Being sure that we had the best possible set-up for the race was more important.” The team even packed up soon after break on Thursday to give the team an early night.

“Our pace should be fast and consistent, right across the board. Hats off to John Martin, that was a great lap to claim pole, but Le Mans isn’t about Wednesday or Thursday, it’s all about Saturday and Sunday,” said Firth. “That’s where we’ve been focused, and we’ve ended up with a car that’s truly brilliant to drive – it really does feel good. What’s more, the car hasn’t skipped a beat, not once, and that’s all credit to Nick (Reynolds) and the team. Everything fits together perfectly, the team’s well drilled, and all the components look pristine. We couldn’t be better prepared than we are now, and we’ve done everything we need to do to be ready for this race.”

The plan on Wednesday had been fairly straightforward, and involved ensuring that all three drivers ran their statutory five laps in the dark, and then giving Warren fee rein once that task was completed. “It was a great evening,” said a well-satisfied Greg Murphy. “I was absolutely delighted with the way it went. We tried no funny stuff, no soft tyres, no light runs, but we made some big changes to the car, and they certainly helped.”

“The car was basically quick anyway, and we knew that from the pace we’d set during the test here the other weekend. During that first session we saw that the time Warren had set right at the start was going to tumble down the order. Once the other two drivers had completed their required laps, we made some radical changes, bolted on some fresh tyres, and sent Warren out again. The result was great – so much better than we expected.”

Warren, cool and at ease as usual, shrugged slightly. “We had a few issues in the practice session, mainly with the brakes, and that was clouding the set-up a little, but once we’d got the brakes working properly it was clear where we needed to go. We made some significant changes, tweaked it a bit more, and then it was really good.”

“When the clear laps come, you’ve got maximise the opportunity. I was lucky to find one traffic-free run. That gave us a benchmark to secure a place on the grid, but the really good thing is, we’d established a superb baseline setting for the car that we all felt very comfortable with. We were left with the scope to make a few more tweaks, but essentially, we knew we’d be happy to go into the race with what we had on Wednesday.”

Not being able to go for anything quicker on Thursday didn’t seem to disappoint Warren. “It’s all too easy to get sucked in to the competitive nature of qualifying, but it’s not relevant in a 24 hour race. What is important is that we have a good car for the race. Nothing else matters.”

Wednesday was Jody Firth’s first run at night at La Sarthe. “The amazing thing is, you can smell all the barbecues as you drive round the circuit. You can even tell what people are cooking! That’s certainly something I never expected to experience.”

Like everyone “front of house” in the squad, Firth comes across as very relaxed about tackling the 24 Hours. “I’m happy with the way things are going, and I’m feeling confident in myself too – in my own performance, and my attitude towards the race. I can’t compete with Warren’s experience, but I am setting competitive times, and that gives me a sense of pride in my own achievements.”

We’ll catch up with “new boy” at Murphy; Brendon Hartley, in a later report.

The Fairlane Flyer

Almost hidden away on the trailing edge of the rear wing of the #48 Oreca is a small vinyl that simply reads; “Fairlane Flyer”. Small it may be, but the caption has not gone unnoticed, and it has more significance to Murphy Prototypes than its size might imply.

Greg’s father Pat Murphy raced saloons in the Sixties. “He was the greatest racing driver in the world at the time,” insists Greg. “Well, he was to me anyway. He was my dad. He raced a series of Ford Fiestas, and every one had sponsorship from the Fairlane Motor Company, and because he was so quick – of course he was – they were nicknamed “Fairlane Flyer”. The name ran in bold letters down the side of every car he raced, and I wanted to have the same name on mine. I’ve told you the story before, but we were at Mondello Park, having lunch, and my dad said he wasn’t feeling too good. He went round to the Fiesta and sat down in the car for a nap. A little while later one of our friends went over to the car and opened the passenger door, and my Daddy had died, sitting in his driver’s seat. That was Pat Murphy. My hero.”

Although Pat Murphy passed away when Greg was a child, those weekends at Mondello Park and special motorsport events in Dublin’s Phoenix Park still have a strong bearing on what Greg does today. “I’ve never been able to get away from the legacy he left me – the passion for motor racing that we both share,” he says. “I wanted to include a small tribute to my father on the car, and “Fairlane Flyer” seemed appropriate.

Incidentally, the Fairlane Motor Company was the largest Ford dealership in Ireland. The company was founded by Bill Cullen - the “Alan Sugar” of the Republic, having not only become one of Ireland’s top entrepreneurs, but also the taskmaster on RTE’s equivalent of ‘The Apprentice’.

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Track images from Le Mans: Doris