IN 2014 James Moffat came within 4.1 seconds of following in the footsteps of his father and being crowned a Bathurst 1000 victor, steering his Nissan Altima to second place at Mount Panorama.
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That was the closest Moffat has come to finding Great Race success and while he is no longer a full-time Supercars driver, his desire to claim the chequered flag in the renowned enduro is as strong as ever.
So when Tickford Racing (formerly Prodrive) had discussions with Moffat about being a co-driver for them in the 2018 endurance rounds, he was quick to take the opportunity.
“This all happened pretty quickly. My main focus, once it became clear to me that I wasn’t going to be able to remain full-time in the championship, was to secure a co-drive that I thought put me in as good a position possible to win some of the biggest races of the year,” Moffat said.
“It’s exciting to join what is already a pretty strong group, and I’m just really looking forward to working with everybody on the team and hopefully achieving some great results.”
While James’ father Allan has three Bathurst victories to his credit, the second placing alongside Taz Douglas four years ago rates as his best effort from eight attempts.
The last two years Moffat has not been classified amongst the finishers at Mount Panorama, but he is hoping this October brings with it a change in fortune.
“Clearly Bathurst is the biggest, I think we can go there as genuine contenders for the race, and that’s exciting for me,” he said.
“Obviously the team showed really strong pace towards the back half of the year, and hopefully the team can keep that momentum into 2018. It’s good to have something locked away.
“I feel like I’ll be able to bring some pretty current experience. Obviously I know myself, and when you’re a main game driver you always want a co-driver that’s got experience. Perhaps I’m somebody that fits that criteria, and at the same time while I’ve got a bit of experience, hopefully I’ve got a bit of speed to offer as well which proves to be a pretty successful combination.”
The Bathurst 1000 is on October 7.