Supercars Mentor Greg Murphy Weighs in on Wood-Feeney Rivalry

Supercars mentor and former driver Greg Murphy has commented on the ongoing rivalry between drivers Ryan Wood, whom he mentors, and Broc Feeney. Murphy stated he does not disagree with Feeney's stance, expressed disappointment that an incident from the 2023 season finale was not addressed sooner, and noted that such rivalries can increase viewership for the sport.

Background of the Rivalry

The tension between Ryan Wood and Broc Feeney stems from the 2023 Adelaide Grand Final, which decided the Supercars championship. During that event, Feeney's championship bid ended due to an engine problem. Wood's teammate, Chaz Mostert, won the championship.

The rivalry was evident again at the recent Taupō round. Wood won a 60-lap race, with Feeney finishing second. According to reports, the two drivers did not speak initially in victory lane but did interact later on the podium. Both drivers referenced each other during the post-race press conference. Tension between the pair was also reported prior to the season opener at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Murphy's Statements on the Rivalry

When asked about the rivalry, Greg Murphy provided several comments:

"We love rivalry stuff. I mean, this is what is going to get more people watching our sport."

On Feeney's position, Murphy said, "I don't disagree with Broc in his reasons why he's like this."

He expressed significant disappointment in how a key incident was handled after the 2023 finale:

"That moment needed to be dealt with very quickly after Adelaide finished. It needed to be a conversation and needed to be dealt with – and it wasn't. I was on the other side of the world, and if I had been there, I would have made sure it was dealt with, because it would have been respectful."

"It disappointed me that it didn’t get dealt with in a better way so that they could move on, regardless of if there was agreement or not."

Murphy also praised Feeney as a competitor: "I’ve got a huge amount of admiration for Broc Feeney. I think he’s just a stunning race car driver. It’s sad what happened to him but that’s finals. He had an engine problem at the end of the day in Adelaide and what happened, happened."

Additional Context on Ryan Wood

Murphy also provided context regarding his mentorship of Ryan Wood and the driver's career:

• Murphy stated that General Motors had shown interest in Ryan Wood prior to Wood signing a multi-year contract extension with Walkinshaw TWG Racing.
• Regarding his own involvement, Murphy said his advice to Wood is not financially motivated.

"I have been very clear with him, if you want me involved, we're not doing this for the money. We're doing this because when you're successful and when you're happy and when you're in the right place with the right people, all that stuff comes."

Ryan Wood currently leads the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy standings heading into the next championship event, the ITM Christchurch Super440.