Moff: Watching dad at Sandown inspired me to race

Improved form couldn't come at a better time for Norton Hornet James Moffat, as he heads to a track that means a great deal to him.

Racking up his first ARMOR ALL Pole Position in Queensland and coming home fourth in Sydney have been promising for the 30-year old - and while he is reeling in his expectations for this weekend's 500km classic, he is looking forward to a spin around a track where his father Allanhad many victories.

"Dad was hugely successful at Sandown - he won six times there and it was where he won his last race in Australia with Gregg Hansford, at the Sandown 500," Moffat told v8supercars.com.au.

"So for me as a kid growing up, going to the Sandown 500, sitting in the grandstand were some of my first memories of going to the race track. And probably no doubt sitting in the grandstand, watching the 500 when I was six or seven, that's when I probably started to dream about one day racing in the 500 myself.

"When we went back there a few years ago for the Sandown 500 - I was really excited about that because for me that was always the traditional warm-up to Bathurst if you'd like, and my first couple of years doing the enduros was at Phillip Island.

"I'm always excited when it comes to the Sandown 500 - I think it's a great event and there is the history there, and maybe a bit of added history with how Dad went there.

"But unfortunately that doesn't guarantee anything for us. So we just need to go there and do the best job we possibly can with what we have, and execute well with car preparation, car speed, strategy and all those bits and pieces."

Moffat predicts his Norton Altima will be better suited to circuits that appear later on the calendar, like the Gold Coast street track and Phillip Island, but admits the recent form, and ARMOR ALL Pole Position - at tracks they weren't talking up - were pleasantly surprising.

"We were battling flat out on Friday (at Ipswich), I qualified 20th. So to come back the next day and qualify on pole, like I said at the time I was as shocked as anybody.

"But at the same time it does prove how competitive and how close the Championship can be - you can be struggling to qualify 20th one day, and the next day when you get it all together, get the car working well, you can qualify on pole.

"That weekend in general was a bit of a shock to us as a team because we probably went there not expecting to do that well, and the speed of the cars was very encouraging.

"I guess from a personal personal point of view it was great to finally achieve my first individual pole, but also the first Championship pole for the team since returning (as Nissan)."

It was announced earlier this week that long-time sponsor of Moffat Norton would withdraw from the sport at the end of the season, which he was disappointed about. Signed on a multiyear deal with Nissan, he and the team will press on.

"Business as usual for me ...I think there's a few more rumours going around about my little mate (teammate Michael Caruso, out of contract end of the season) than me!"

Moffat continues to team with Taz Douglas for this year's Pirtek Enduro Cup, which begins today at the Wilson Security Sandown 500.

"I've got a great co-driver with Taz and he fits in perfectly. It's working really well with him there - we don't have to make any adjustments inside the car in terms of seat belts.

"Having him back this year has been great, so I'm looking forward to doing the next three events with him. He's super cruisy, and that's probably a good thing for me at times, so I have every faith with him that he will do the job we need him to do.

"He was one of the best co-drivers last year, he just goes under the radar, no fuss, that's exactly what you want in a co-driver."

Three 40-minute practice sessions run today, with the second and third restricted to co-drivers only at the Wilson Security Sandown 500.