GREG Murphy is on pole for national driver training programme, backed by Holden New Zealand.

A day-long course designed for young drivers, with the goal of reducing accidents and fatalities, Holden Street Smart has a high-profile brand ambassador in this four-time Bathurst winner and national motorsport icon.

The Hawke’s Bay champion racer who made a career out of racing V8 supercars after winning the New Zealand Grand Prix and now mainly works as a motorsports’ commentator – though he is now also rallying at national level - is a long-time passionate advocate for road safety.

A road crash he had at age 19, during the first year of his circuit motor-racing career, was a huge wake-up call and realisation that, even though his own skills were sharpened by competing in karts and a Formula Ford single seater, he was still deficient in basic abilities that would have avoided the smash, in which a friend was injured.

In our exclusive video interview, Greg talks about that smash, how motorsport can help hone better road driving skills and why he disagrees with the concept that slower drivers are safer drivers.