Tickford Racing co-drivers share mixed feelings on no lead-up race before Bathurst

Tickford Racing’s leading co-drivers in Michael Caruso and James Moffat have shared their differing opinions on coming to the Supercars Championship Bathurst 1000 without a traditional “warm-up” race for the first time.

Traditionally falling as the second endurance race in the Enduro Cup, the Sandown 500 was seen as the warm-up to Bathurst from the 70’s until the late-2000’s where it was replaced with Phillip Island before returning in 2012.

Without a race for co-drivers to get settled in before Bathurst, many questioned how prepared the secondary drivers would be leading in to the biggest race of the Australian motorsport year, especially those without racing experience throughout the year.

Caruso, driving with Cam Waters in the #6 Mustang and in his first time as a co-driver, was asked if he wanted Sandown before Bathurst as a lead-up to the Great Race.

“I think we all do,” Waters said.

“I’m not surprised to see that next year the 500 is before the 1000; it’s history. I’m disappointed that we’re losing it to Sandown itself. Much like what this event is built on, we all grew up as kids watching the Sandown 500 and I think it’s important for our category as a form guide, leading into the biggest event of the year.

“It’s a driver and main driver race for the teams so from an entertainment point of view, or even a storytelling point of view, it’s important to have those aspects in our category.”

Team-mate Moffat disagreed, saying that for those like he and Caruso, who have recently come from full-time drives, it doesn’t make much of a difference once it gets underway.

“In reality, there’s always pressure to perform,” he said.

“It’s no different if we had Sandown as the lead-up race or not but hopefully you can play on your experience. It’s not something that I’m giving too much consideration, we know what the job is at hand and we’ve been building up to it all weekend.

“We’re starting on the front row so we’re giving ourselves a pretty good opportunity and we’ll go out there, execute as best we can and see where we shake up at the end of the day.”

Starting from second with Chaz Mostert, Moffat will be looking to return his family name to the top step at Bathurst after his father Allan won the race four times, the last coming in a one-two finish for his team in 1977. Waters and Caruso will be lining up in third on the grid.