Murphy Prototypes

Murphy Prototypes was an Irish auto racing team founded by former single-seater racer Greg Murphy. Based in Dublin, the team was active in endurance racing from 2012 and competed in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and more recently, the Michelin Le Mans Cup in the LMP2 and LMP3 classes.

As of 2023, the team has ceased operations and is no longer competing in any major racing series.

History

The team was founded in January 2012 by Greg Murphy, a former Asian Formula Three Championship driver. Murphy Prototypes made their debut in the 2012 European Le Mans Series with an Oreca 03-Nissan in the LMP2 class. Their campaign started at Paul Ricard but ended early after 64 laps. They rebounded with a podium finish (third) at Donington. That same year, the team was invited to compete in the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they led the LMP2 class on several occasions before retiring due to a gearbox failure during the night.

In 2013, the team enjoyed its most successful season, finishing fourth overall in the ELMS and scoring its first series win at the final round in Paul Ricard. At the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans, Murphy Prototypes finished 12th overall and sixth in the LMP2 class. The driver line-up included former Formula One driver Karun Chandhok.

The 2014 season saw the team drop to seventh in the ELMS standings with only one podium finish, and their Le Mans effort ended after just 73 laps due to a collision during heavy rain. The team continued to compete in both the ELMS and Le Mans through 2015 and 2016, but with diminishing results.

Murphy Prototypes transitioned to the LMP3 class and returned to the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2023 with a Duqueine D-08. Greg Murphy appeared in a bullish social media video posted on the team's X (formerly Twitter) account on June 9, 2023 from the Circuit de la Sarthe, expressing strong ambitions for the team’s future at Le Mans. However, this would be the team's final public activity. The team has since disappeared from both the Le Mans Cup and ELMS entry lists.

Murphy’s ambitions to take his team to the top tier of endurance racing were once bold. In a 2014 interview with ''The Irish Times'', he stated: ''"Our goal is to move up to LMP1 and win. It is of a similar level to Formula 1 so it's not the work of the moment."''

Sadly, those aspirations never materialised. With increasing silence across all platforms, a trail of unpaid debts alleged by some in the paddock, and a growing sense of disillusionment from supporters, it appears Murphy Prototypes will not return to competitive racing—concluding a once-promising Irish motorsport story with more questions than accolades.

E-Scooter Championship and Decline

Following the apparent end of Murphy Prototypes' motorsport activities, team principal Greg Murphy shifted focus toward the emerging electric micromobility space, entering the short-lived E-Skootr Championship under the banner Murphy Scooters. The team’s involvement was first teased via their X (formerly Twitter) account in March 2022 with a now-archived post promising "exciting news," followed the next day by the announcement of their participation in the new electric scooter series. The announcement was met with mixed reactions, with some long-time followers expressing disappointment that it wasn’t a return to LMP2 racing.

Activity on the Murphy Scooters Facebook page ceased after November 2022, and the team has not been mentioned in any official E-Skootr Championship communications since.

Around the same time, Murphy launched another micro-mobility company, Jule Mobility Limited, promoting electric transport solutions. However, the company’s listed website is no longer active and is currently up for sale, much like the main Murphy Prototypes domain.

Racing record

24 Hours of Le Mans results

References

External links

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Murphy Scooters - ESkootr Championship

European Le Mans Series

Michelin Le Mans Cup

{{Commons category, Oreca 03 of Murphy Prototypes

Auto racing teams established in 2012
2012 establishments in Ireland
24 Hours of Le Mans teams
European Le Mans Series teams
Irish auto racing teams
Defunct auto racing teams