11/22/2025
News coming in that Allan Moffat has passed away. Allan was our guest of honor in 2015. It' seems like yesterday. A lot will be written about him in the coming days, offerings by better writers, and people who knew him better. What I can offer is, many of us will never forget that weekend. Many will cover his extensive racing pedigree. I would rather focus on the friends we all made the weekend.
Planning and communications prior to his attendance made it clear that we were dealing with great people. He was traveling to here with a group, all of them friends, fans, and handlers. We thought if he attracts such nice folks, he must be nice as well. Understatement of the year. From the very moment they arrived, it was new friends on site. Allan was no diva. He casually toured the paddock, interacted with all, and just seemed at ease. Humble. an actual car was present that he raced years ago, offered for him to perform touring laps. He did not feel comfortable enough and opted out. " I don't wish to embarrass myself or the car". He was funny, personable, and real. Just like the folks who traveled with him. That to me sums him well. He attracted quality. The Aussies are the best. They felt compelled to pitch in and volunteer during the event. One instance that sticks out, ( and i still laugh) they took over shuttles for a while. Karyn Hamer , would check paddock road to make sure no oncoming traffic was present, and then announce to her passengers" Oops! Aussie at the wheel!, better hang on! " and promptly drive up the road on the " wrong" side.
We wished the event was bigger to honor him, but honestly, it could have never been big enough., If it bothered him, he never let on. I was lucky to have a few chats with him. It was like talking with someone you knew your whole life. Years later, they retuned during a tour of the states, as he was being honored out west. Timing and such caused us to have a very small gathering for his visit. All was fine, when one of his team approached me, " Allan wants you" Nervous, I looked around and he was seated on the golf cart. As I approached, he smiled, and stated, " I want you to drive me around the track" . Phew. The most enjoyable lap I ever did around the track, was on a golf cart, that took over 30 minutes. We chatted lightly about everything, Life, racing in general, and yes, the track. We stopped at every corner, and it took a while, but I finally understood it. He was soaking it all in, His last lap on the track, never somber, always bright about it. The cracks in his condition were present in beginning form. I felt horrible just for noticing it. Alzheimer's is a bitch. Nobody handled it with more dignity than he did, It strikes you, when somebody like Allan, addresses you by name, to say thank you. One quote from Allan sticks out, as it was eerily similar to an observation that Tony A- to Z had made a few years before.
" This place, it's special. Lots of tracks get attention being bigger, or having had big races, but this place stands alone. I hope folks realize what a treasure they have"
Allan's Waterford history is not listed in Wikipedia. It is covered lightly in his book ( Climbing the Mountain). No matter, it's fitting in a way. The track has never been one to hold high attention. The track mattered to Allan. He was here in the mid-sixties,, and used the track as his home base for a while. An icon of Australian and racing worldwide.
Race on Allan. We are far better for knowing you.
