Allan Moffat facts for kids

Allan George Moffat (born 10 November 1939) is a famous Canadian-born Australian racing driver. He is known for winning four championships in the Australian Touring Car Championship. He also won the Sandown 500 six times and the Bathurst 500/1000 four times.

Moffat and his friend and rival, Peter Brock, are the only drivers to win the "Great Race" at Bathurst in both its old (500-mile) and new (1000-kilometre) formats. Allan Moffat was added to the V8 Supercars Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2018, he was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Racing Career Highlights

Allan Moffat moved to Australia from Canada when he was 17. His family moved because his father's job transferred him to Melbourne. In the early 1960s, Moffat began his amazing motor racing career. He started racing in a Triumph TR3 car.

Early Years (1964-1971)

Allan Moffat in his Ford Boss 302 Mustang at Lakeside International Raceway.

In 1964, Allan Moffat and Jon Leighton raced a Ford Cortina Lotus. They finished fourth in the 1964 Sandown 6 Hour International race. This race was the first of what is now known as the Sandown 500.

Moffat first joined the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) in 1965. He drove a Lotus Cortina. After this, Moffat spent time in the United States. He raced in the new Trans-Am Series in 1966. He showed his skill by winning a race at Bryar Motorsports Park. He drove an Under 2L division Lotus Cortina.

Moffat returned to Australia but also spent more time in the US. He continued to race the Cortina and Ford Mustangs. He drove for Carroll Shelby in Trans-Am races. He raced with Australian co-drivers like Horst Kwech.

By 1969, Moffat was living full-time in Australia. He became a regular ATCC racer. His bright red Coca-Cola-sponsored Ford Boss 302 Mustang was easy to spot. This car was specially made for racing by Ford's American team. With help from his team, he won many races in this car. He won 101 championship and non-championship races from 151 starts. This included the first win for a factory-built Boss Mustang. This happened at the "Southern 60" race at Sandown Raceway in May 1969. However, he did not win the ATCC championship in the Mustang. He finished 6th in 1970, 2nd in 1971, and 3rd in 1972.

Moffat and his Mustang were part of two very memorable ATCC races. In 1971, he was close to winning the championship. He was only 4 points behind Bob Jane before the final race. They had an exciting duel at Oran Park Raceway. Moffat had a gearbox problem but still finished very close behind Jane.

In 1972, he had a close race with Ian Geoghegan at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst. Moffat's Mustang had better handling and brakes. He kept up with Geoghegan's more powerful Falcon. Moffat even drove for half the race with his safety belts undone. He had to lean out the window to see because oil from the Falcon smeared his windscreen. He later admitted this was a dangerous thing to do.

The Mustang was not allowed in the Bathurst 500 race. This race was only for standard production cars before 1973. So, Moffat first raced at Bathurst in 1969. He drove a Ford works team Ford Falcon XW GTHO. He and his co-driver Alan Hamilton finished fourth. Moffat was very careful with his car's tyres. This showed he could drive fast without wearing out the car. He believed he could have won the 1969 race if he hadn't been told to pit early.

The next two years were very successful for Moffat. He became one of Australia's top drivers. The Falcon GTHO became almost unbeatable. In 1970, Ford Australia improved the Falcon XW GTHO Phase II. Moffat, racing alone, won the 1970 and 1971 Bathurst races. He also won the 1970 Rothmans 250 Production Classic. In 1971, he was the first driver to lead the Bathurst 500 from start to finish. He drove the famous Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III.

The "Supercar Scare" (1972)

Moffat in the Ford Falcon GTHO Phase III at Surfers Paradise International Raceway in 1972.

In 1972, Ford planned to release a new, faster "Phase IV" Falcon GTHO. This car was meant for Moffat to win his third straight Bathurst race. However, a journalist wrote an article with headlines like "160mph Supercars on Our Roads!" This caused a big public concern known as the Supercar scare. The government and media put pressure on Ford. Ford had to cancel the production of the Phase IV. This meant Moffat and other Ford drivers had to use older Phase III cars for Bathurst.

Peter Brock won the race that year for Holden, Ford's main rival. This race marked the beginning of the famous Moffat-Brock rivalry. This rivalry would become a huge part of Australian touring car racing for many years.

Championship Wins (1973-1980)

A replica of the Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop. Moffat and Ian Geoghegan won the 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 in this type of car.

In 1973, new rules changed racing. Both the ATCC and Bathurst race were now for Group C Touring Cars. These cars were slightly modified. Ford decided to stop their factory racing teams at the end of 1973. This meant Moffat and other Ford drivers had to create their own private teams.

Despite this, Moffat and his team had a great year. He won his first ATCC title in 1973. He also won the 1973 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 at Bathurst with co-driver Ian Geoghegan. Moffat, Geoghegan, and Ford were the first winners of the Bathurst race after it changed from 500 miles to 1000 kilometres.

After Ford Australia stopped racing in 1973, Moffat raced as a private driver in 1974 and 1975. He had some success in the ATCC. He finished third in 1974 with two race wins. In 1975, he won the 12 Hours of Sebring race in the USA. He drove a BMW 3.0CSL with other international drivers. This win showed his skill as a world-class driver.

Moffat returned to full-time racing in 1976. He drove his XB Falcon GT Hardtop and won his second ATCC title. This was a big achievement, especially after his race car was destroyed in a transporter fire. He had to borrow a car from another driver, John Goss, for two races. Moffat also won the first Australian Sports Sedan Championship that year. He drove a Chevrolet Monza and later a Ford Capri RS3100.

In 1977, Moffat became even more dominant. He had a two-car team supported by Ford. He won his second ATCC title in a row. His new teammate, Colin Bond, also did very well. This was Moffat's third ATCC win. But the biggest moment was his victory at the 1977 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 in Bathurst. He won with his new co-driver, Jacky Ickx, a famous Formula One driver.

During the Bathurst race, Moffat's car had brake problems. This was due to Ickx's hard driving. Bond caught up, and the two Ford cars crossed the finish line side by side. Moffat stayed just ahead for a huge 1-2 victory for Ford. This moment is one of the most famous in Australian motor sport history. Many still see it as Ford's greatest achievement. The next year, Moffat received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his great service to motor sport.

Ford XC Falcon Hardtop Group C race car. This was the car Moffat and Ickx used to win the 1977 Hardie Ferodo 1000.

Moffat did not repeat his 1977 success in the next three years. Moffat and Bond stopped racing together at the end of 1978. Moffat continued to race Falcons until the 1980 Hardie-Ferodo 1000 Bathurst race. This was his last time racing a Ford Falcon XD.

In 1980, he raced different cars in different countries. He won the Australian Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 934 turbo. He also raced at the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans with Bobby Rahal. They had to stop while in fourth place. He even drove for the Holden Dealer Team once, finishing third in a Holden Commodore. This was special because it was only the second time Moffat raced a Holden. It was also the first time he was on the same team as his rival, Peter Brock.

Mazda Years (1981-1984)

In 1981, Moffat made a big change. He left Ford to drive a Mazda RX-7. This was a surprise to many Ford fans. The ATCC and Bathurst races were starting to favor lighter cars with less raw power. Moffat drove the RX-7 to four top-six finishes at Bathurst between 1981 and 1984. This included a second place in 1983 and third in 1984. He also won his fourth and final ATCC title in 1983. During this time, Moffat won the 1982 and 1984 Australian Endurance Championships in his RX-7.

Replica of the 1982 Mazda RX7 Group C race car. Moffat and Yoshimi Katayama drove this car in the 1982 James Hardie 1000.

Another view of the 1982 Mazda RX7 Group C race car replica.

Moffat also raced an RX-7 at the 24 Hours of Daytona. He won his class in 1982 with co-drivers Lee Mulle and Kathy Rude. In 1982, he raced at Le Mans again in a factory RX-7. He finished sixth in class.

The 1984 was a difficult year for Moffat. He had a strong start but then faced problems. At Symmons Plains, his engine broke down on the first lap. He then won at Wanneroo in Perth. But at Surfers Paradise, his Mazda crashed badly. He hit another car while trying to lap it. The crash caused him a fractured sternum and a broken finger. The RX-7 was completely destroyed.

After his crash, many people thought Moffat, at 45, would retire. But he kept racing. He came back for the 1984 Australian Endurance Championship. He and Gregg Hansford won the Valvoline 250 race. They then finished second at the 1984 Castrol 500 at Sandown. They also took third place at the 1984 James Hardie 1000 in Bathurst. Moffat's team entered two cars in that race. His own car had engine problems early, so he moved to Hansford's car. They finished third. Moffat then finished second at the Surfers Paradise 300. This secured him the final Australian Endurance Championship under the old Group C rules.

Holden and Ford Return (1986-1989)

Moffat returned to touring car racing for four more years (1986–1989). In 1986, he joined his longtime rival and friend, Peter Brock. They raced for the Holden Dealer Team. This was a big moment for Australian motorsport. The two most successful drivers in Australia teamed up. They quickly found success, winning the 1986 Wellington 500 in New Zealand. They drove the new Holden VK Commodore SS Group A. Moffat and Brock then raced in Europe. They finished fifth twice in the FIA Touring Car Championship.

Before the Spa 24 Hours race, Moffat and Brock finished fifth at the BP Plus 300 in Surfers Paradise. Then came the 1986 Castrol 500 at Sandown. Brock qualified the car on pole position. But tyre problems meant they finished fourth. They were confident for the 1986 James Hardie 1000 at Bathurst. Moffat had a serious crash during practice. This meant their car missed the Top 10 run-off. They started 11th on the grid. In the race, they finished fifth after losing time in the pits. Moffat was also hampered by his injured wrist from the crash.

1987 started well with Brock and Moffat winning the Wellington 500 again. They also won the 1987 Nissan-Mobil 500 series. Then, Holden stopped supporting Brock's team. Moffat left the team and bought a new Holden VL Commodore SS Group A. This was the car Brock planned to use for the World Touring Car Championship.

The Holden VL Commodore SS Group A driven by Allan Moffat and John Harvey. They won the 1987 Monza 500 in this car.

At the first race in Monza, Moffat and co-driver John Harvey finished seventh. Later, they were declared the winners after other cars were disqualified. However, they did not get championship points. This was because the team had not paid the entry fee. Despite this, Moffat and Harvey drove the Commodore to a great fourth place and a class win at the Spa 24-hour race.

This was the Commodore's last race for Moffat. He realized he needed a new, powerful Ford Sierra RS500 to win at Bathurst. He made a deal to lease a Sierra for the Australian races. This deal meant Harvey no longer had a drive. The deal was not successful for Moffat. The car broke down at both the James Hardie 1000 and the Calder 500 before Moffat even got to race it.

In 1988, Moffat wanted to keep driving the Sierra. He got a special Sierra RS500 built for him. It was identical to the factory Fords used in Europe. Moffat and his former Mazda co-driver Gregg Hansford raced the car in the 1988 ATCC. They were learning about the complex turbocharged car.

Moffat and Hansford won the 1988 Enzed 500 at Sandown. This was Moffat's last win in Australia. They almost won the Tooheys 1000 at Bathurst. The car was very fast, qualifying fourth. It led the race for 100 laps. But the car had an engine problem and had to stop. Moffat later said that the 1988 Bathurst was "the one that got away." He felt they should have won.

This race was also the last time Moffat raced at Bathurst. He qualified for the 1989 Tooheys 1000 but chose not to race. This was because his team's lead car had a chance to win. He felt the other drivers were much faster in the car. The Moffat team car finished second in that race.

Besides his four wins at Bathurst, Moffat also won the Sandown Endurance race six times. He is the only driver to win it under three different racing rules.

Allan Moffat quietly retired from racing after winning the InterTEC 500 km race in Japan in 1989. This race was two days after his 50th birthday. He had promised his wife he would not race past that age. Since then, he has worked as a TV commentator and a spokesman for BMW. He also appears at Ford events and promotes GT Radial Tyres.

Post-Driving Career

Moffat continued as a team owner and manager. His team ran the RS500 Sierras until 1992. His team had good results, including a second place at Bathurst in 1989.

At the end of 1990, the team lost its main sponsor. This cut their money significantly. They had to stop racing in the 1991 Australian Touring Car Championship. But with new sponsorship, they continued to race the Sierras. These cars were later banned by CAMS at the end of 1992.

After the Sierras were banned, Moffat continued his long connection with Ford. He built a new Ford EB Falcon for the 1993 Tooheys 1000. The car had engine problems and retired early. For the 1994 Tooheys 1000, the team was more competitive. They finished a good eighth place.

The 1995 Tooheys 1000 was difficult for the team. The car retired early with engine trouble. The 1996 AMP Bathurst 1000 was the last time an Allan Moffat-built car raced at Bathurst. The car finished tenth.

From 1991 to 1996, Moffat's cars only raced at the Sandown 500 or Bathurst 1000. This was because the team did not have enough money or resources. Moffat also worked as a TV commentator during this time. He was both a commentator and a race team manager at Bathurst.

Life After Racing

On 2 February 2004, Allan Moffat became an Australian citizen. His friend, Peter Brock, presented him with the citizenship. Moffat had been eligible for citizenship for many years but had not completed the process.

Even though Moffat has lived in Australia for over 50 years, he still has his strong Canadian accent. This is a well-known part of his personality. Moffat is also a director of the Australian Institute for Motor Sport Safety (AIMSS).

Moffat's two sons, Andrew and James, have also become racing drivers. James Moffat finished second in the 2014 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. This was the first time a Moffat had been on the Bathurst 1000 podium since Allan finished third in 1984.

Since late 2022, there has been a campaign to rename Mountain Straight at Mount Panorama. People want to call it Moffat Mountain Straight or Moffat Straight. This would honor him and his rivalry with Peter Brock. Their competition made the Bathurst race very popular across Australia.

Career results

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Complete World Sportscar Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	DC	Points
1968	Shelby Racing	Ford Mustang	DAY Ret	SEB Ret	BRA	MNZ	TAR	NUR	SPA	WAT	ZEL	LMS							NC	0
1980	JLC Racing	Mazda RX-7	DAY 24	BRA	SEB	MUG	MNZ	RIV	SIL	NUR									NC	0
	Dick Barbour Racing	Porsche 935 K3									LMS Ret	DAY	WAT	SPA	MOS	VAL	RAM	DIJ
1982	Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd.	Mazda RX-7	MNZ	SIL	NUR	LMS 14	SPA	MUG	FJI	BRA									NC	0

Complete Australian Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* Drove Murray Carter's Phase III Falcon at Adelaide International Raceway in 1973 due to his own Falcon being stolen the night before the race. The race was still entered as driving for the Ford Works Team.

Complete FIA European Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	DC	Points
1986	Mobil Holden Dealer Team	Holden VK Commodore SS Group A	MNZ Ret	DON 5	HOC 5	MIS	AND	BNO	OST	NUR	SPA 22	SIL	NOG	ZOL	JAR	EST	NA	44

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Points
1987	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A	MNZ ovr:1 cls:1	JAR Ret	DIJ Ret	NUR	SPA ovr:4 cls:1	BNO	SIL					NC	0
		Ford Sierra RS500								BAT Ret	CLD Ret	WEL	FJI

† Not registered for series & points

Complete Bathurst 500/1000 results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1969	Ford Australia	Alan Hamilton	Ford XW Falcon GTHO	D	129	4th	4th
1970	Ford Motor Co of Australia		Ford XW Falcon GTHO Phase II	E	130	1st	1st
1971	Ford Motor Co of Australia		Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III	E	130	1st	1st
1972	Ford Motor Company of Australia		Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III	D	122	9th	5th
1973	Ford Motor Company of Australia	Ian Geoghegan	Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop	D	163	1st	1st
1974	Allan Moffat Racing	Dieter Glemser	Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	3001 – 6000c	92	DNF	DNF
1975	Allan Moffat Racing	Ian Geoghegan	Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	D	109	DNF	DNF
1976	Moffat Ford Dealers	Vern Schuppan	Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	3001cc - 6000cc	87	DNF	DNF
1977	Moffat Ford Dealers	Jacky Ickx	Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop	3001cc - 6000cc	163	1st	1st
1978	Moffat Ford Dealers	Jacky Ickx	Ford XC Falcon Cobra	A	81	DNF	DNF
1979	Allan Moffat Racing	John Fitzpatrick	Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop	A	136	DNF	DNF
1980	Allan Moffat Racing	John Fitzpatrick	Ford XD Falcon	3001-6000cc	3	DNF	DNF
	Channel 7 Breville Racing	Bob Morris Bill O'Brien	Ford XD Falcon		88	DNF	DNF
1981	Peter Stuyvesant International Racing	Derek Bell	Mazda RX-7	6 Cylinder & Rotary	119	3rd	1st
1982	Peter Stuyvesant International Racing	Yoshimi Katayama	Mazda RX-7	A	156	6th	6th
1983	Peter Stuyvesant International	Yoshimi Katayama	Mazda RX-7	A	162	2nd	2nd
1984	Peter Stuyvesant International Racing	Gregg Hansford	Mazda RX-7	Group C	161	3rd	3rd
		Gregg Hansford	Mazda RX-7		15	DNF	DNF
1986	Mobil Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock	Holden VK Commodore SS Group A	C	162	5th	4th
1987	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Andy Rouse Thierry Tassin	Ford Sierra RS500	1	31	DNF	DNF
1988	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Klaus Niedzwiedz Gregg Hansford	Ford Sierra RS500	A	129	DNF	DNF

Complete Sandown Endurance results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1964	Allan Moffat	Jon Leighton	Ford Cortina Lotus	G	220	4th	1st
1965	Allan Moffat	Jim Palmer	Ford Cortina Lotus	C	224	DNF	DNF
1969	Ford Motor Company	John French	Ford XW Falcon GTHO	D	118	1st	1st
1970	Ford Motor Company		Ford XW Falcon GTHO Phase II	E	130	1st	1st
1971	Ford Motor Company		Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III	E	NA	DNF	DNF
1972	Ford Motor Company of Australia		Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III	D	11	DNF	DNF
1973	Ford Motor Company of Australia		Ford XA Falcon GT Hardtop	D	52	DNF	DNF
1974	Allan Moffat Racing		Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	D	130	1st	1st
1975	Allan Moffat Racing		Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	A	76	DNF	DNF
1976	Moffat Ford Dealers		Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop	D	128	2nd	2nd
1977	Moffat Ford Dealers		Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop	D	127	3rd	3rd
1978	Moffat Ford Dealers		Ford XC Falcon Cobra	6000cc	NA	DNF	DNF
1979	Allan Moffat Racing		Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop	A	NA	DNF	DNF
1980	Marlboro Holden Dealer Team		Holden VC Commodore	A	107	3rd	3rd
1981	Peter Stuyvesant International Racing		Mazda RX-7	A	115	6th	6th
1982	Peter Stuyvesant International		Mazda RX-7	D	109	1st	1st
1983	Peter Stuyvesant International Racing		Mazda RX-7	Over 3000cc	129	1st	1st
1984	Peter Stuyvesant International Racing	Gregg Hansford	Mazda RX-7	Over 3000cc	128	2nd	2nd
1986	Mobil Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock	Holden VK Commodore SS Group A	B	128	4th	4th
1988	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Gregg Hansford	Ford Sierra RS500	A	129	1st	1st
1989	Allan Moffat Enterprises	Gregg Hansford	Ford Sierra RS500	A	12	DNF	DNF

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1980	Dick Barbour Racing	Bobby Rahal Bob Garretson	Porsche 935 K3	IMSA	134	DNF	DNF
1982	Mazdaspeed Co. Ltd.	Yojiro Terada Takashi Yorino	Mazda RX-7	IMSA GTX	282	14th	6th

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1968	Shelby Racing	Horst Kwech George Follmer	Ford Mustang	TA+2.0	176	DNF	DNF
1980	JLC Racing	Amos Johnson Stu Fisher Brad Frisselle Tom Walkinshaw	Mazda RX-7	GTU	440	24th	9th
1982	Kent Racing	Kathy Rude Lee Mueller	Mazda RX-7	GTU	640	6th	1st
1985	Allan Moffat Racing	Gregg Hansford Kevin Bartlett Peter McLeod	Mazda RX-7	GTO	482	24th	7th

Complete Spa 24 Hours results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1986	Mobil Holden Dealer Team	Peter Brock John Harvey	Holden VK Commodore SS Group A	Div.3	412	22nd	10th
1987	Allan Moffat Enterprises	John Harvey Tony Mulvihill	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A	Div.3	468	4th	1st

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

Year	Team	Co-drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class pos.
1968	Shelby Racing	Horst Kwech	Ford Mustang	TA5.0	63	DNF	DNF
1975	BMW Motorsport	Hans-Joachim Stuck Brian Redman Sam Posey	BMW 3.0 CSL	GTO	238	1st	1st

Images for kids

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  Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Group A race car. This car was driven by Moffat, Rouse, and Tassin in the 1987 James Hardie 1000.

See also

In Spanish: Allan Moffat para niños