AAFD’S Murphy a Winner on and off the Track

Jim Murphy’s high standards yield results in racing and business.

If you only knew dragster driver Jim Murphy from what you see of him at the races, you would probably fall short in your assessment of him.

Conversely, if you only knew him from his day job, you would also miss knowing the real Jim Murphy. What and who he is during the week gives little clue as to what he does on his weekends, and visa-versa. Although he strikes an imposing presence at 6 foot 4 inches in height, the quiet spoken Murphy doesn’t strive to impress with words. He lets his actions speak for him.

Most people in the racing world are aware that Murphy came out of boat racing in the 1970s to field a series of rear engine dragsters and fuel funny cars on the NHRA circuit. Campaigning under the Holy Smokes banner, Jim traveled the pro tour for a number of years until the demands of business dictated that he devote more of his time to managing the construction company he founded in 1966. He sold off his racing stock and shifted the efforts he had been putting into racing toward guiding his Santa Rosa-based firm.

Murphy got his start in the construction trade taping drywall for $3.00 an hour when he was 21 years old. Three years later he had his own drywall company and was building spec homes on the side. Six years after that he sold the drywall company to concentrate on spec construction. Then, as Jim says, “Along came the recession of the early 1980s and it almost put me under”. It was time to regroup.

In spite of the rocky times Jim Murphy and Associates had established a good reputation. That reputation enabled Jim to convince Jay True, a like-minded business acquaintance from the commercial side of the building trade, to become his partner at JMA. The partnership clicked as the two men combined different but complimentary strengths and skills.

Murphy and True successfully identified a new breed of customer that was moving into their area, which is in the heart of Northern California’s wine country. JMA was already specializing in upscale commercial and residential projects, and now there were executives from the entertainment, medical, and technical industries who were looking for properties to establish their own labels. “Wineries”, as Jim explains, “can include industrial, retail, hospitality, and residential elements all in one property. These people can be demanding clients, but we have always held ourselves to a very high standard”. JMA’s blend of Mediterranean style construction and a work ethic and moral code that places equal value on excellence and fair dealing fit these new customers like a custom suit. Since embarking on this path Jim Murphy and Associates has grown at an annual rate of 15% per year. Currently they are under construction of a home that is the largest project in Napa County, commercial or residential. That speaks volumes for their solid business plan and sterling reputation in today’s economy.

You would think that with his business success Murphy would have all the reward he needs, but a recent event validated that Jim truly does seek a higher standard. JMA was named by Custom Homes magazine as the 2011 Builder of the Year for the entire United States. That honor landed the company on the cover of the magazine and an 8 page spread inside. Understandably Jim is brimming with pride. When the honor is mentioned he is unable to suppress his obvious delight, but he still speaks with typical Murphy understatement when he says; “We are all very proud of that achievement. Everyone at JMA has worked very hard to earn that honor”.

In the late 1990s the turn around in Jim’s business allowed him to return to drag racing again. He landed the ride in Jim Herbert’s WWII AA/Fuel Dragster. Unfortunately that plan was almost derailed a short time later when Herbert died suddenly. There was some uncertainty as to the future of the team until Murphy summoned up strength from his strong belief in faith and purchased the team assets in order to keep the group intact. That faith was rewarded when just days after Jim’s death the still-mourning crew captured an emotional top eliminator win at the prestigious March Meet in Herbert’s honor. Since that time the WWII team has amassed an impressive record that includes winning the March Meet 4 times, the California Hot Rod Reunion 3 times, and the Goodguys/VRA championship 4 times.

It is somewhat ironic that the workers on Murphy’s construction sites are known to wear T-shirts emblazoned with ‘Murphy’s Law’ on the front, and inspirational messages like ‘The more you plan at the start, the less you have to fix at the end’, or ‘Monsters in the closet never get smaller. Deal with them now’. Those credos could easily be used on the race team’s uniforms as well, but aren’t. They do, however, provide an insight into Jim Murphy’s philosophy on life that he has applied to both his work and play. Judging by the success of his business and his race team it appears that we might all be wise to keep those lessons in mind.

Jim Murphy and the WWII team have entered the upcoming March Meet with their focus set on taking home the AA/Fuel Dragster title. By doing that they will break a long standing tie they share with Don Garlits of having 4 wins apiece. If they win they will stand alone as the only team to ever win five March Meet Top Eliminator trophies.

The March Meet is scheduled for March 18-20 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. Additional information can be found at www.famosoraceway.com