2014 Racing Teaser Video

Hello!

Even though the 2014 racing season is still underway, here is a 2014 Racing Teaser Video for those of you who wanted to see, in a nutshell, what kind of racing we went through last year! Hope you enjoy it!

Grand Prix 2014

A blog post written by Duncan himself!

8 June 2014: Murdoch Racing on podium at Grand Prix du Canada

Duncan Murdoch earned 3 podium visits in the two Formula Tour 1600 support races over the Grand Prix weekend. 

Race 1 was an exciting one, immediately following the Formula One qualifying session Saturday afternoon.  Duncan had qualified his number 22 Van Diemen Ford in 4th place of 30 competitors. He spent the entire race in a tight battle within the lead pack of 5 cars. Running between1^st and 5^th position, Duncan finished 3^rd in the Pro category and 2^nd in the Masters category, for drivers over 40 years old.

Duncan having fun on the podium. 

Photo courtesy of siteformulatour1600

For Race 2 Sunday morning, prior to the Grand Prix, Duncan started from the front row, based on his having set the 2^nd fastest lap during Saturday’s race.  He was squeezed out at the first corner falling back to 6^th.  Having recovered to second place towards the end of the race, Duncan was a victim of traffic falling to 5^th at the finish, 1^st in the Masters category.

Duncan notes: “What a great weekend! It is a big thrill to race at the GP and very satisfying for our small team of friends, to be competitive with the big Pro teams and young up and coming drivers in this series.”

After 4 of 12 races in the 2014 Formula Tour 1600 Series Duncan is 3^rd in the Pro Championship standings and 1^st in the Masters category.

The World's Coolest Golf Cart!

When you go to the racetrack, you would expect fancy cars, trucks and trailers. However, there is one thing that is always present that shocks people. This is the use of golf carts. Now, I know what you might be thinking: why would a race team possibly need a golf cart? What purpose would it serve? Well, this blog article will tell you. A golf cart, much like a pit crew, is an integral part of a race team and our team learned this very early on during the 2010 race season.

When I learned we were going to have a golf cart, I thought it would look exactly like the ones on the golf courses. However, some look very different! Ours has only one seat, is covered in metal and has a storage compartment underneath. When we first saw it at the Montreal Grand Prix in 2010, Duncan had recently bought it and the engine required rebuilding. Duncan and Jim were completing the rebuild at the track as, up to that point, all the effort had been on preparing the Race Car and the golf cart parts had just arrived.  I remember staring at this machine, wondering what possible purpose it could have. Boy, I had no idea.

The false grid is far from our paddock (which is right underneath the Jacques Cartier Bridge), at the F1 garages in the pit lane, close to the Victoria Bridge.

You know that roar of a monster in a movie and you feel that the crap is about to hit the fan? Well, that’s kind of what happens with the golf cart at Tremblant. Duncan and Jim usually walk from the car park in the field to our spot in the paddock and return to give us a ride. Everything is quiet until… you hear it: . That distinctive sound of the golf cart’s 2 stroke engine.  The arrival of the golf cart is always met with moans, groans and threats from other teams. One racer threatened to blow up the golf cart.   He never gets a ride.

The first person to threaten to destroy the golf cart was none other than me. The 2010 Grand Prix of Montreal was the first event in the rivalry between the golf cart and me. When I tried to drive it in reverse, I went flying backwards, catching my foot on a metal pole. I tore three tendons. I’ve also stalled it quite a few times.  This is why I’m generally not allowed to drive it.

The golf cart has many different purposes. It tows the car back and forth along the basin at the Montreal Grand Prix, which we call the false grid. The false grid extends from our paddock (which is right underneath the Jacques Cartier Bridge) to the garages in the pit lane (which are close to the Victoria Bridge).  Without it, we would lose fuel. The golf cart carries the crew and equipment to the pits. It is used as a stepping stool to take down the tent.  Duncan uses it to schmooze around the paddocks. It is also used to inflict injuries on ourselves, which was seen during the 2010 season. It also announces our presences and Jim describes it “like a Roman chariot. The distinct sound of the engine is our bugle.”

The golf cart backfires once in a while, which can be a little embarrassing, depending who is around. However, everyone looks our way when we are driving it and they cheer when we sound the horn. The backfire is our mechanical trumpet.

The golf cart is also the perfect viewing platform for the races and gives us the best seats during Formula 1 qualifying, which takes place just on the other side of the wall we are waiting by.

Even though some of us make fun of the golf cart, it is actually one of the best investments Duncan made and we would all be lost without it. 

Coming up!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry for the break in the blogs, butt we are getting ready for the first race of the season at Tremblant on  May 23-25! Below is the revised 2014 schedule for this racing year and some information about the blogs coming up!

Thank you for your support!

Murdoch Racing.

Blogs coming up:

The Fundamental Understanding of Murdoch Racing: Want to know about the team before you show up at the track? Well this blog is perfect for you. Inside, you will read all sorts of funny anecdotes and inside jokes so you can understand exactly what is going on when you are around us!

Team Blog entry: the last short biography is on its way written by none other than Duncan and Meghan.

Golf Cart blog: want to know a bit about the golf cart and its rather interesting purpose at the races? You can read all about it here. Learn about Meghan's rivalry and ill-fated experiences with the cart, the injuries it imposes and funny anecdotes about it.

May 23-24-25                   Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant                                      Mont-Tremblant, Que Jun 6-7-8                          Circuit Gilles Villeneuve                                     Montreal, Que. Jul 4-5-6                            Circuit ICAR                                                              Mirabel, Que Jul 18-19-20                     Honda Indy Toronto                                             Toronto, On   Jul 25-26-27                      Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant                                       Mont-Tremblant, Que.   Aug 8-9-10                        GP Trois-Rivieres                                                   Trois-Rivieres, Que.
Sep 26-27-28                    Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant                                      Mont-Tremblant, Que.

NEWS

Hi everyone!

We have some news! We are working on new blogs: three team member biographies and one about the golf cart (for those of you who attend the races, you know exactly what I'm talking about!). We also have the tentative race schedule which will be posted soon for those who want to attend. If you haven't seen the team member biographies, click on the team page!

Meghan.

A Salute to Big Blue!

Big Blue: Our Trusty Steed! 

If a truck enthusiast were to come with us to the races, they would undoubtedly be in heaven: Ford F150s, 350s and Dodge Rams are all around. These trucks have one purpose only: to cart around the trailers to the races. Among all these exotic, shining trucks is one very special vehicle: Big Blue. Now Big Blue wasn’t the prettiest thing to look at, with its rusty spots and faded paint, but it had its fine qualities.

As mentioned briefly in another blog, Big Blue is very special… and some of us on the team learnt this from its first trip. Jack describes, “Duncan had found a trailer and needed something to tow it with. The search was on to find something appropriate! After a drawn out search lasting no more than four hours we found out that one of Duncan’s friends had just the animal in terms of a 1993 Ford E350. The somewhat dilapidated look of the vehicle did not in any way detract from its full potential and reliability. The relationship with the vehicle took an immediate turn for the good. As Duncan was cleaning the vehicle after taking ownership, he found an envelop in the glove compartment full of money. The previous owner obviously had too much money and not enough time to spend it. In true character, Duncan returned the money to the previous owner in exchange for future considerations.”

He continues,

“The first real test was the trip to Connecticut to pick up the new trailer in May 2010. It was one of the hottest days on record for that time of year with temperatures near 100 degrees. The trip back involved long and sometimes steep climbs up the south flanks of the White Mountains (or Green), which caused the needle of the engine temperature guage to bury itself almost out of sight at the top of the hot range. True to the word of the previous owner, the vehicle did not falter and we managed to tow the trailer home to Montreal safe and sound!”

Duncan adds, “This trip was my first use of Big Blue and also my first time towing a trailer of any significant size. We did the trip down past Hartford and back in one day.  Jack had business in Montreal the next day.  Climbing those hills on our return, I really did not think we would make it….but Jack kept the faith…and Big Blue delivered.”   

This vehicle proved to be our little home away from home when we needed it. On those cold days where five layers of clothing didn’t provide enough warmth, we would duck into the van to warm up, which held the heat more than the trailer did. We would also sometimes have lunch in the van, although only the “cool kids” were invited (cool kids being me, Duncan and Corey). The van was also the perfect napping spot, where it had unbelievably comfortable seats. The best napping moments were in fact on those cold days. It was also the best conference centre. 

For one of us, the vehicle provided a secret hideout spot when he or she didn’t want to be found. Thank goodness for tinted windows. See, this team member had a specific issue… let’s call him or her… Terry. Terry found someone who was always at the racetrack to look a lot like a certain, good-looking rock star. However, when this anonymous racetrack person would try and talk to Terry, Terry would just stare, rooted on the spot and not able to speak out of shyness. Once, when Terry was spotted by this person, who was making a move to come and talk to him/her, Terry yelled to the other pit crew members, “get in the van!” and jumped in, hiding in the darkness and clutter in the back. This Terry person will remain anonymous… as will the anonymous racetrack, rock star looking person. And don’t bother asking anyone on the Murdoch Racing team. What happens at the racetrack stays at the racetrack! ;) Thank goodness for Big Blue, the getaway truck!

There were a few more memorable incidents with this truck in the early days. On arrival in Tremblant for our first race, the rear break line ruptured.. This was accompanied by a substantial amount of smoke from brake fluid burning on the exhaust., not to mention a very low brake pedal.  Duncan says, "I started to smell things. We were very close to the track and when I stopped at the gas station to see what was going on, there was break fluid pouring out. "We made it to the track on the front brakes and trailer brakes and spent the rest of the weekend scrounging parts to do the repair.  This was completed with the help of our friends from Simtec Racing and we made it home safe and sound.  Duncan notes, “Corey was on board for this trip.  It must have been traumatic for him….ever since he avoids riding in Big Blue…go figure”  

Big Blue was, however, the inflictor of injuries. Meghan nearly broke her elbow hitting it on the outside hinges. Terry jumped out of the truck once, eager to help Jim out with something, when his/her calf caught the bottom of the door and cut it. Terry howled and yelled in pain (some swear words may have been uttered). However, the anonymous racetrack, rock star looking person was right in front of Terry and saw the whole thing. How embarrassing!

 All in all, Big Blue was so good and very practical. We could put so much stuff in the back, use it as a temporary storage compartment in the winter, and during the race weekends, we could put clothes and other personal items in the truck so we weren't tripping over each others' stuff in the trailer, which can be very frustrating. Big Blue is tough…surviving our tent collapse with just a small dent on the roof in addition to Meghan’s constant attempts to add additional cosmetic damage.

Duncan notes in conclusion; "Big Blue was one of the best vehicles I ever had. I never let me down and it always started. It got us wherever we needed to go and served its purpose. We will miss it."

Murdoch Racing teaser video Tremblant

Our teaser video 

Hi everyone! 

After a few months on the down low, Murdoch Racing is getting ready for a new and exciting race season. We have released to you a video with some of last year's footage. Also, the engine is put back together, the car is all in one piece and the body work that was damaged last year is coated with fiberglass! All we need is to paint it!