This year’s Bathurst 1000 wildcard for Kiwi drivers Greg Murphy and Richie Stanaway reunites Murphy with one of the most influential characters from the early days of his career; Boost Mobile CEO Peter Adderton.
The most recent episode of Repco’s The Garage Back to Bathurst series saw Murphy and Adderton chat about the duo’s history, and the recruitment of Stanaway following the former Sandown 500 winner’s shock snap retirement.
Adderton has been a key figure in bringing the Kiwi Bathurst wildcard together as well as in the wider Supercars championship, backing a number of drivers and teams.
Adderton explained his involvement in the wildcard as well as in Richie Stanaway’s career.
“The kid is extremely talented, I saw him at Tickford, and the day I really liked what he did was actually at Townsville, he was basically so angry, and by the way Greg I’ll be honest with you it’s something you would have done back in the early days,” Adderton said.
“If we put the wrong tyres on your car I swear to god you would have done the same thing. While screaming in your helmet.
“I saw a little bit of Greg in Richie, so I’m like ‘ah ok I like this kid, he obviously wants to win and wants to go well.’ So when [Tickford] dumped him I rang up Richie and I said ‘Richie you know what I’m going to do the Garry Rodgers [deal].’”
After the announcement that Wilson Security would no longer sponsor Garry Rodgers Motorsport (GRM), Adderton and Boost Mobile stepped in as the primary sponsor for the 2019 season.
“I said alright Garry we’ll step in but I want Richie in the car.
“That was a mistake of mine because Garry’s way of operating and Richie’s way of growing up in Europe where you basically race the car, you come in you put your helmet up and go back to the transporter and you’re gone.
“Well, Garry’s thing is ‘I’ll take your helmet get under the car and start working on it or go out the back and watch the truck’. It was a miss match, and that was my fault.”
Looking back at the situation Adderton conceded that it wasn’t the right combination for Stanaway or the team
“I take full responsibility for putting Richie and maybe Garry as well, through one of the worst years of their lives. I was trying to put two pieces together that just didn’t fit.
“I didn’t want that to be the end of the chapter for Richie, and so when I was thinking about this idea, and I saw what Supercheap are doing I was like you know what he needs a mentor, someone who was Richie, who was young and you know passionate and really had the drive, I got to get Murph in the car.
“So that’s when I rang up and as you know Greg I used every single thing I could, blackmail, bribery, I didn’t care what it took, you were going in that car. And I think at the end I just said of all the things I’ve done for you I’ve never asked you to do one thing for me this is it.
“I’d really hoped you weren’t going to go there,” Murphy joked in response.
The wildcard is due to race in this year’s Bathurst 1000, which will also be the final round of the 2021 Supercars championship November 30-December 5.
Main image: Bost Mobile Racing
