He is the man of the moment. . . Chequered Flag first talked to Allan Moffat at Sandown in February, during the Rothmans Series in which he entered a new phase of his operation as the Australian Agent for Goodyear Racing Tyres. Since then we have compiled this interview, a frank, honest, and highly interesting story with Moffat the man, the business executive, and the Champion driver.
We have followed his introduction to the tyre 'war' at Sandown, his losses at Symmons Plains and Oran Park and the sensational second place at Amaroo when he first outdrove the field in the wet, on slicks, before a final corner touch saw first place slide into the wall and second seemed but an unjust reward. . . This then is Allan Moffat, Face to Face.
Chequered Flag:
Did you achieve everything that you set out to in the 1977 season, was there anything else which you would like to have done?
Allan Moffat:
No! We couldn't have done anything else, the parameters we laid down were achieved. - We would like to have won the Sandown Hang Ten 400, but that was our one poor show of the year. From the rear of the grid to third place wasn't all that disgraceful though.
Chequered Flag:
What do you want to do in 1978?
Allan Moffat:
Obviously, to repeat what we did in 1977 - whether that can be achieved will have to be answered this time 1979.
Chequered Flag:
The Moffat Team philosophy. Obviously Colin Bond will continue to drive with the MFDT, but will the equal drivers, equal cars plan continue as in last season?
Allan Moffat:
Oh! Most definitely. I can't see any other way to go. It requires a lot of effort. Naturally, I think that with drivers the calibre of Peter Brock and John Harvey in one team, any thought that their cars are not properly prepared will very quickly show up. I believe the key to our success last year was the fact we had two equally prepared cars and although it was impossible for our two drivers to dead heat, having Colin in the position he was in all year to hold off any attack made it very difficult for any body else to get into second spot.
Chequered Flag:
At one stage it was mooted that Peter Brock would join the Moffat team, at that time had you considered retiring?
