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Peter Murphy Turns in Strong Performance with GSC & USAC |
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Watsonville, CA - Tulare, CA (May 29-30, 2009) – If you were to look up the word "tenacious" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary you will find this entry: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired. If you opened that same Dictionary at Ocean Speedway Friday night or at Tulare's Thunderbowl Raceway Saturday, you would have seen a picture of Peter Murphy. Murphy towed into Ocean Speedway Friday night to do battle with the Golden State Challenge 410 Winged Sprint Cars. He would get off to a fantastic start in the Rick Eberhardt owned No. 13. Murphy put it to the Ocean Speedway surface and timed in with 11.760 which would be quick-time out of the 24 car field, just missing the track record. Murphy finished fourth in his heat race, which put him in the all important dash where he was able to move up to finish sixth. In the 30-lap main event, Murphy would start next to Evan Suggs. When the green flag came out, Murphy was "feeling out" the racetrack, searching for the quickest way around the track in the Tarlton & Son, Inc., sponsored mount. Murphy eventually followed fellow third row starter, Suggs across the line for eighth. "We had a good run. We tried some different things on the car and learned a lot," the veteran shoe said. "We didn't finish where we wanted, but I felt good in the car and I had fun running with everyone here." With a huge Harris Construction sticker plastered on the side of the car, the team was off to the Tulare Thunderbowl the following day to "get it on" with the USAC/CRA Non-Winged 410 Sprint Car Series. Murphy has been on fire within the 360 ranks, winning four races so far this season. Murphy carried that same fire and focus into the race, that he carried into Ocean Speedway the previous night. For some odd reason, Murphy wasn't even on anyone's radar to be a contender in the event. Murphy was off and running in the Tom Tarlton owned No. 21 where he qualified fourth out of the 24 car field - qualifying with a 15.238. In Heat No. 1, Blaine Steele and Jason Wheelock had the car screwed down as Murphy absolutely tattooed the field from his fourth starting spot and immediately sent a message and quieted any naysayers in attendance that he was going to be a contender in the 30-lapper. Murphy would line up next to USAC/CRA points leader, Mike Spencer. When the lights went out around the speedway and flagman Willie Williams gave the field the "1 to go" signal, you could feel the intensity from the drivers and the fans as the cars were ready to unleash their fury upon one another. The fans were correct. When the green flew, Murphy looked like he was shot out of a cannon and blasted around the top of the racetrack putting him into the third spot, chasing Davey Pombo down the back straightaway. Yellow fever would plague the race in the early laps of the event. Murphy eventually got around Pombo and set his sights on race leader, Matt Mitchell. Midway through the event, Cory Kruseman worked his way to the front and the veterans proceeded to put on a show for the fans. Kruseman was relentless, and kept peeking his nose under Murphy, but Murphy was able to utilize the Shark power and pull away on the straightaways. Murphy and "The Kruser" pulled the gloves off and went into an all-out brawl out on the racetrack. With a couple of laps to go, the fans were up on their feet as Mitchell, Murphy and Kruseman went three wide into turn-1, with Mitchell holding the lead. The trio went barreling into turn-1 on the white flag lap, and Murphy drove the car as hard as he could into the turn and had a nice run on Mitchell. However, heading down the backstretch the car slowed as a broken camshaft would end his exciting drive. After a push truck picked up Murphy on the backstretch, he was being pushed back to the pits and the crowd was standing up and cheering wildly for Murphy, thanking him for his all-out performance. With his helmet off, he thanked them by waving back at the frenzied crowd. "I want to congratulate Matt Mitchell on his win tonight. He ran a strong race. Man what a blast that was a fun race!" Murphy said. "It's a shame that the camshaft broke, but I'm not complaining, that was fun. I have a lot of respect for Cory (Kruseman); we have respect for each other out on the track. He raced me hard and clean, and I want to thank him for that. I also want to thank all of the fans for their support. Even though we lost the race, I feel like we won it. The way that they cheered for me when I was being pushed past them meant so to me. I can't begin to put it into words." "I think that his performance this weekend shows that he's not 'just' a Non-Winged 360 Sprint Car driver, Peter Murphy is a Sprint Car driver….period!" Gary Costa commented to infield announcer, Doug Bushey. "If people take a look at his history, I think that they would be floored. I just don't understand where that moniker came from I guess. He didn't win tonight, but it shows his level of talent. He ran strong with the GSC the night before, then he rolled in here and ran as hard as anyone; I'm extremely proud of him and the Tarlton Motorsports Team." Peter Murphy will be heading to Santa Maria Speedway this weekend to race with the West Coast 360 Sprint Car organization. Murphy has picked up two wins at the speedway this season. He won there back on May 2nd and the last event held there on May 23rd. Team Tarlton's efforts are supported by the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Ridgeline Framing, Shark Racing Engines, Matt & Glass, M & S Motorsports, Sharp Insurance, McLellan Equipment, Elite Racing, BG Products, Pro Signs, VMAC, Kaeding Performance, Pro Shocks, Sander Engineering, Astro Titanium, Simpson, BR Motorsports, Willwood and BRMS. |
