Feeling need for speed

Christchurch’s Cormac Murphy is back for a third season in the Toyota 86, joining newcomer Syndicate Motorsport with hopes of turning his outright speed into a championship challenge.

The 22-year-old is hoping the team switch will see him unlock his potential. Syndicate was new for last season, running Justin Allen in what turned out to be a title-challenging season.

Murphy learned much in his first season but is now aiming to build on that with his new team.

“For this season, I have focused on improving my mindset and mentality going into the weekends,” he explains ahead of the first round of the 2025/26 championship at Hampton Downs this weekend.

“I feel there was still a good amount of room for improvement in some of my decision making throughout last season. If I focus on this aspect, I believe the results I’m after will come.

“I learnt a lot in my first season of racing in the TR86. It gave me confidence coming into last season, but obviously the TR and GR cars are different in terms of the way they handle and feel, and I struggled last season with car set-up and my overall speed.

“So far from how testing has gone with Syndicate, coming into this season I feel we will be able to have plenty of speed and be consistent with it.”

The championship is the country’s leading one-make, one-model category. Each season, it invariably produces a season-long battle between the country’s top young stars. That won’t change and Murphy is well-aware that challenge will remain in the new season.

“The competitiveness, and how hard it is to be competitive in this series, is what makes me keep wanting to come back. The margins are so tight. With it being considered the premier tin-top class in New Zealand, the talent of all other drivers is also some of the best New Zealand has to offer.

“You have to drive to your and the car’s absolute limit every single lap. However, with everything being so close, even being the fastest driver might not be enough so also having the right set-up in the car for each track is crucial.

“I’m usually quite reserved about prospects for the season as it puts unnecessary stress on everyone. But I’m feeling better than ever. I feel my team and I have ticked all the boxes for what’s needed to challenge for the title.”

Murphy’s campaign has been brought together with support of FMI Building Innovation, the Miles Group and Repco.