Pukekohe is a place Greg Murphy holds dearly and it's part of the reason why he will struggle when racing gets underway at next month's ITM 400 Auckland.
The 40-year-old King of Pukekohe won four rounds at the famous track (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005) before V8 Supercars relocated to Hamilton in 2008.
Racing returns on April 12-14 after a five-year absence and there's the added interest around the new generation Car of the Future, but local fans won't see Murphy in one of them. He had a couple of lean years in the V8 Supercars and is now racing the New Zealand V8 SuperTourers - he leads after two rounds this year - and admits he will be a little "grumpy'' when the ITM 400 gets under way.
He tried to secure backing for a wildcard entry but will have to content himself with being the event's ambassador.
Murphy surveyed the changes to the track today and gave them his seal of approval. The raceway has undergone a $6.6 million facelift that has resulted in Pukekohe returning to the V8 Supercars calendar at least until 2017 and V8 Supercars bosses touting it as a world-class facility.