"Irish" Jack Murphy

What can I say... my dad's favorite and then that Shamrock #6 became my favorite as well. A gentleman racer and local legend around these parts. Jack was there driving and winning in the coupes during the earliest years of Oswego speedways existance, and remained a top runner there for more than twenty years. He was also a front runner in the modifieds, winning at many local tracks including the famed NYS fairgrounds, winning the Labor Day NYS championship there in 1959 and 1970. He was the winner of Oswego's inaugeral International Classic in 1957. Jack was one of the few drivers to make a successful transition from coupes to the potent supermodifieds at Oswego.
  . . . written by Jake Zoll

Weedsport, NY — May 27, 2010 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

Coming to a climax with the headline ‘Hall of Fame Classic 100’ on May 30, the Memorial Day Weekend Super DIRTcar Series showdown on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds is just 3 days away. The historic Weedsport, New York speedway comes to life for the traditional holiday special with the 100-lap Big-Block Modified winner on Sunday waiting to take home a cool $6,000 top prize.

Helping commemorate the past two decades of Hall of Fame happenings at the home of DIRTcar Northeast, highlights from many of the past induction days will be recalled in anticipation of the first big holiday racing event of the season.

Honored for the first time during 2000 induction ceremonies at the HoF, the name ‘Irish’ Jack Murphy will once again echo across the fairgrounds as the local favorite now residing in nearby Central Square, N.Y. will be on site Sunday for a rare autograph session during intermission of Weedsport’s evening race card. The former New York State Fair Modified Champion will be returning home just in time after spending Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut attending an International Supermodified Association (ISMA) event.

From the first time that he watched stock car races in Hawaii while enlisted in the United States Army, Murphy was hooked, not as a fan but as an active participant in a sport that he would remain devoted to the rest of his life. Throughout his racing career his car became one of the most identifiable around the region as the green and white Modified always boasted a shamrock and number six on both sides. This unique combination made the “Wild Irishman” one of Central New York’s premier drivers of the day and a racing legend to be remembered.

When Oswego (NY) Speedway first opened in August of 1951, Murphy quickly made the ‘Steel Palace’ his home, emerging as the dominant force on the dirt while capturing the 1952 track points title. Oswego staged the inaugural International Classic in September ’57, offering an unheard of Sportsman purse of $5,000 in the 100-lap feature event, and Murphy outdistanced Nolan Swift to claim the memorable victory. His “Shamrock 6” also became a fixture at Brewerton, Canandaigua, Dryden and the Monroe County Fairgrounds, eventually finding its way into victory lane at the NYS Fairgrounds in 1959 and 1970. While competing irregularly at Oswego in 1959 and '60, Murphy returned to the proud Port City oval sporting the famous green and white colors, this time on a no. 6 Supermodified in the track’s completely overhauled class. For more than two decades Murphy's presence on the Empire State racing scene was a major contributing factor to the growth of motorsports. His accomplishments are legendary both as a competitor and supporter of auto racing and in 1977 he received the prestigious Kodak Park Auto Racing Booster Club ‘All-Time Great’ Award to further solidify his rank in history.
  . . . written by Tom Skibinski

Speedways all across our area paused for a moment of silence for Murphy as fans and drivers shared memories of him and his famed Shamrock 6. The Oswego Speedway hosted the ISMA super modifieds for their opener and Murphy’s daughter Lori drove a restored Shamrock 6 around the racetrack before the feature. The race was also lengthened to 56 laps to honor Murphy.
Chris Perley came out of retirement to run this race and dominated the field in front of a packed house in Oswego. Perley passed Mark Sammut early in the race and cruised to a convincing win. But in victory lane, all he could think about was the man we lost just two days before the race.
“I just want to dedicate this race and I’m sure everyone does, to Jack Murphy,” Perley said. “He was such a part of ISMA for all these years. Since I was a pup he’s been running around here and you could never make him quit. He was so dedicated. He and Delores are such a part of this organization. I’m really going to miss him. I spent a lot of time talking with him over the years. I don’t think there is anybody here that can say anything bad about him. He’ll really be missed. Our hearts go out to Delores and the family.”   . . . written by Doug Elkins

• December 14, 2010 Article by Jeff Ackerman published in the Gater Racing News
• please links, stories or images so we can all remember Jack Murphy.

• Oswego Classic Finishes:
  1957. 1st
  1958. 5th
  1959. 14th
  1960. 5th
  1961. 13th
  1963. 8th
  1964. 22nd
  1965. 29th
  1966. 9th
  1967. 30th
  1968. 4th
  1969. 33rd
  
• Top Oswego Point years:
  1951. 2nd
  1952. 1st
  1954. 2nd
  1955. 4th
  1956. 4th
  1957. 4th
  1958. 6th(B class, 1st)
  1960. 14th
  1961. 7th
  1962. 12th
  1963. 3rd
  1964. 5th
  1966. 20th
  1967. 9th