Debuting
at Bathurst is
intimidating enough for any race driver, but when your family name is
synonymous with success at
Mount Panorama, the task is made even more daunting.James Moffat (Bob Jane T-Marts/Trueline), whose father Allan scored four victories, two pole positions and one runner-up at Bathurst in his 25 year motorsport career, will compete at the famous Mount Panorama for the first when he takes to the track in Carrera Cup Australia in this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
“I think I’ve watched every 1000 race since I was about two or three but it’s my first time racing there so it’s a bit of a dream come true and an absolute thrill,” Moffat said.
“Obviously there is a fair bit of family history at the place given dad’s record there. Because of that this track means a bit more to me than any other track because I know how much effort dad put in to racing at Bathurst.”
Moffat has been outstanding in his first season in Carrera Cup Australia, claiming eight race and two round podiums on his way to leading the Michelin Rookie of the Year table and seventh overall in the Championship.
At the last round at Phillip Island he scored two thirds, and was running second in Race Three before he was forced to pit with a mechanical black flag. “Phillip Island was pretty shattering because heading into the weekend I was confident of a win,” he said. “We had a few dramas on the Friday but our races on Saturday were good and we had the quickest car in Race Three, so the drive-through was pretty shattering for the whole team.
“Since Perth I’ve been reasonably happy with how I progressed because I have shown some genuine speed. Up to that point I was struggling a little bit but since then I’ve been able to get as much as possible out of the car and myself and come away with some good results.”
But Bathurst has been marked on the calendar all season and it is the one track he desperately wants to do well at. And he knows it won’t be easy, even with some words of advice from his dad. “With only the one practice session it’s going to be a steep learning curve for me but it’s going to be a blast,” he said. “I’ve been speaking to dad a fair bit and he’s been offering me a few ideas on how to approach certain corners and a bit of general advice about the place so that has been pretty helpful.
“This is one track where experience is vital so being able to tap into his experiences will definitely be beneficial.” One driver with plenty of experience at Bathurst is current Carrera Cup Championship leader Craig Baird (ACER/Leading Solutions).
Baird will race for the Holden Racing Tem in the Bathurst 1000 as well as compete in Carrera Cup and with him just needing to finish in the top six in Race One to claim the Championship, it could be a celebratory weekend for the Gold Coast based Kiwi.