Colin Bond - Bathurst 1977

[Head Rev]

Have just been reading other threads and talk of Colin Bond came up and discussion on his driving abilities. Agree with most of the comments, he certainly was a talented driver and was named Mr Versatile, because he could jump into any car, rally car, F5000, Touring Car, Rallycross car and out perform all other competitors. He was my hero growing up and I still rank him as one of the best drivers in Australia.

Now, how full would have these forums been if they were around in Oct. 1977 when Bond obeyed team orders and his boss (Allan Moffat) to finish second to him? No doubt they would have been chock a block full of positives and negatives as to his actions. Should he have gone for the win or did he do the right thing to finish second. It's histroy now, but look at all the promotional / advertising photos that came out, and even just the other day, models of the famous 1-2 finish.

Interesting to hear further your thoughts on Bond, his driving abilities and that 'finish.

[HDTVKSS]

personal oppinion is he should have had a pit board failure.....

[rustyinsthoz]

Re Bathurst 77 . Bond did the right thing by obeying team orders . It was Moffats team . Moff was the one who put it together and did all the hard work . Moff also led for most of the race . Plus . I don't think Bondy could have lived with himself if he had disobeyed the order to finish second .

[storyline]

Given the reported 'bad blood' that happened after the race between the two of - I think Bond could easily have lived with himself.

But - at the time it was Moffat's team, Moffat was the lead driver and Bond did himself absolutely no harm or discredit by doing what was expected of him.

I think you will find that most fans who follow the sport see the race result as a 1-2 for the Moffat team and, although Moffat was credited officially with the win, many see it as a 1-1 for Moffat and Bond and not a 1-2.

[Gaz170]

Originally Posted by rustyinsthoz

Re Bathurst 77 . Bond did the right thing by obeying team orders . It was Moffats team . Moff was the one who put it together and did all the hard work . Moff also led for most of the race . Plus . I don't think Bondy could have lived with himself if he had disobeyed the order to finish second .

Going on how events ended up later, I'm pretty sure Bondy regrets following team orders.

[Peregrine]

He probably feels the same way Barry Ferguson does having to let Brocky win the Round Australia Trial.......

[xrystl]

IIRC Bond was cross entered in both vehicles (all the drivers were) and was offered the last stint in the lead car - "Jackie I" was to be in the winning vehicle at the finish - Carrol Smith called the shots as the team manager .

[storyline]

Unfortunately Carrol can't substantiate this now but I was talking to him at his last visit downunder for the Formula SAE events and his recollection is far from that (he wouldn't say much but it was very obvious that he did not remember those days with any fond memories).

He summed it up very well, I thought - as he put it, Colin wasn't the only shafted from that meeting and people have longgg memories.

[racer69]

Agree with alot posted here. Bond was doing the right thing by the team as things stood at the time. One should wonder though if Bond had led all day and ran into brake problems whether Moffat would have stayed behind.....

While Bond might have regretted it later after the goings-on (money related from memory) in 1978, at the time the team was the force of Australian Touring Car racing, walking that years ATCC and then performing what is still the most famous and most remembered finish in Australian motor racing history.

Remember at the same time as Bond was racing with Moffat (77-78), he was running the Ford works team of Escort RS's in the Australian Rally Championship (ran them until the end of 1980), and while he was the team leader, he was content to run in a 'back-up', for want of a better word, to teammate (and i think Australia's best rally driver produced) Greg Carr who was getting all the glory. I think that says alot about the man.

[xrystl]

Originally Posted by storyline

Unfortunately Carrol can't substantiate this now but I was talking to him at his last visit downunder for the Formula SAE events and his recollection is far from that (he wouldn't say much but it was very obvious that he did not remember those days with any fond memories).

He summed it up very well, I thought - as he put it, Colin wasn't the only shafted from that meeting and people have longgg memories.

Not sure where my recollection comes from (too long ago) it may have been from Moffat himself or something that Allan Hamilton said sometime after the event - Hamilton had made the comment that if he had been in the car at the finish he would have overtaken the Moffat car ! - was in AA or Motor sport reporter after the event .

[storyline]

Sorry - wasn't querying your recollection - it was just that the subject of the race came up when Carrol was out here - I remember thinking afterwards that it was a good job that he never wrote a book about it - too many 'alternate facts' might see the light of day!

Either way - he held Colin in extremely high regard - as a person and as a driver. Was refreshing to hear him give praise the way he did.

[deeks6]

Bondy = good bloke, great driver, terrible official ...

My recollection was that he was a LONG way behind when the order went out (there is even film of this) and Moffat slowed down to let him catch up. Regardless of the problem (brakes?) on the #1 car, it was far enough in front to win no matter what. I think some of these stories get a bit romantic with time (or subsequent feuds).

[storyline]

Believe you will find that Moffat definately had problems with the car - word over the last few years has been that if the car that came 2nd hadn't been one of the Moffat cars, then Moffat would NOT have won the race.

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by storyline

Believe you will find that Moffat definately had problems with the car - word over the last few years has been that if the car that came 2nd hadn't been one of the Moffat cars, then Moffat would NOT have won the race.

And that would be no surprise, why would you slow down and let another team win.

At the end of the day the bottom line was: lead team car leading, second team car coming second. No matter who you are, that is the way you as a team would expect them to finish. No more, no less.

Bondy is and was one of the greats. Just think he has made one or two wrong calls as a referee. Given that drivers also make one or two mistakes why is it a crime for anyone else. If one of the so called experts on here have never made a mistake then perhaps they had better have a new nick.

[Falcadore]

I have heard story told, that Bond was offerred a stint in the #1 but did not want to abandon Alan Hamilton. I'm too young to know anything personally on the subject.

[bathurst77]

Going by my login, you can guess this is somethign I thought and read about lots.

Bond did the right thing by staying back.
Some random thoughts on why i say that

For a start, C.B gained more P.R and fame by being #2 in that finish then he would have got if he had of won it. That finish was immortal and we are still discussing it 30 years later. but nobody talks about ..say. T Longhursts win much. A simple win by bond or moff would have been boring to all but "die hard race fans", but the 1-2 was history.

All 2 car teams use team orders at times. Thats part of the sport in the same way a cricket team might arrange for a certain batsman to score the winning runs or get his century when they are way in front (the other batsman might play dead and let the other guy face more) or a footy team that is scoring an easy try/goal might flick it to the hero to finish it off. It proves the teams dominance on the day, and demoralises the opposition and gets heaps of publicity.

Anyway, Moff had the race won, he slowed down to let C Bond catch up. Sure, his car was ailing, but he prob would have finished in front if he hadnt slowed for CB.

The original plan was for Moff and Bond to share car 1 and have others in car 2, Ford said no to that, bit that he can any other co-driver he liked. so moff got Ickx. Jacki Ickx broke the car they say, Moff was famous for being smooth and kind to cars.

I never did find out whay Alan Hamilton tho.

Moffat deserved the win, Moff ran the team, he built the cars. I have read how he mortgaged himself to the hock both financially and emothionally for that win. HE practised practised tested tested and worked his a$$ off to get the dominance that year, bondy would decline to test and practice and turned up for qualifying andd the races, then concentrate on his rally team.

CB was offered a stint in Moffs car during the day, and said no. So he could have won anyway, but decided to come second then.

The funny thing was in 79 and after when the team broke up. Bondy still had Ford factory backing and moff was left out in the cold. Bondy had the Ford factory 2 car rally team, Moff had a couple of 3 year old outdated cars, and no money.

Yep Bondy was an amazing driver (one of the best ever) and a top bloke (Still is a good guy) and he made the right choice that day, too.

[XW GT]

Maybe these comments are a bit off track from the original thread, but I used to have a few cool drinks with some of the people involved with Allan Moffat during the early 70s. They would all relate tales of low budget, resources and struggle, but everyone of them was driven by the passion of the man. In my opinion, Australia didn't have true Touring Car racing until the Coca Cola Mustang arrived, Moffat and the Mustang change Australian Motor Sport forever. I am an unashamed Allan Moffat fan and always will be. As a funny aside, I had the opportunity to meet my hero at Calder Park when he was at his peak. I was actually competing on the same weekend (and in the same race!), I walked over to him and asked for an autograph for my son, and was shattered when the great man told me to "buzz off"! You are still the greatest Allan.

[retro]

Bondy said on a Foxtel sports program last week that Moff had run out of brakes.

[storyline]

XW GT - one of the things that was always instilled into us in the days of Moffat racing - whether it was Ch 7, ABC or SBS - at Sandown was this.

During a race weekend there were certain teams who were strictly OFF LIMITS. These included Frank Gardner, Alan Moffat and Peter Brock.

When we enquired the reason it was put this way - it has nothing to do with personalities. These drivers are professionals BUT when they are at a race meeting tey are there to race - not talk to people, sign autographs etc. Unless we had something to ask them that would go to air, we were to avoid them.

And this is how it was - Brock wasn't too bad, Gardner a bit worse but Moffat - well everone got the same treatment you did - at the race meeting.

Away from the meeting though it was a completely different story - as nice as pie (as the saying goes).

I think once we were told this and understood it our opinions changed for what we originally saw as hard faced *******s.

[xrystl]

Looking back at the touring car drivers from the sixties and seventies - 90% of them had normal day jobs and were just weekend warriors , even the likes of Geoghegan - Beechey - Fred Gibson - Bond - Goss - and most others were gainfully employed during the week : those few who were professional racing drivers spent so much of their time searching for the extra $$$ to keep the teams afloat , I think it was only Moffat and Brock who were employed as race car drivers .

[John Roberts]

Originally Posted by storyline

Given the reported 'bad blood' that happened after the race between the two of - I think Bond could easily have lived with himself.

But - at the time it was Moffat's team, Moffat was the lead driver and Bond did himself absolutely no harm or discredit by doing what was expected of him.

I think you will find that most fans who follow the sport see the race result as a 1-2 for the Moffat team and, although Moffat was credited officially with the win, many see it as an embarrassing win 1-1 for Moffat and Bond and not a 1-2.

Hang on, up until this time Bond was a HOLDEN man through and through. Imagine how it would have looked if a former ATCC close-rival Holden driver won Bathurst in a Ford, just pipping his new boss.

I really admire Allan but as a serious Ford fan I have never forgiven him for what I consider to be a serious lapse in judgement in taking on Bond (where he risked Bond 'mishearing' his order) and see Bathurst '77 as a 1 for Moffat and nothing for Bond because he was a Holden man and should have been faithful to the brand (if he had left Holden and competed as a privateer I would have supported his win).

When Moffat teamed up with Brock in '86 (after all the REAL Bathursts were over anyway) he famously 'accidentally' crashed the 05 Mobil Commodore in practice. Heh, heh, heh.

[Ares]

Originally Posted by John Roberts

Hang on, up until this time Bond was a HOLDEN man through and through. Imagine how it would have looked if a former ATCC close-rival Holden driver won Bathurst in a Ford, just pipping his new boss.

I really admire Allan but as a serious Ford fan I have never forgiven him for what I consider to be a serious lapse in judgement in taking on Bond (where he risked Bond 'mishearing' his order) and see Bathurst '77 as a 1 for Moffat and nothing for Bond because he was a Holden man and should have been faithful to the brand (if he had left Holden and competed as a privateer I would have supported his win).

When Moffat teamed up with Brock in '86 (after all the REAL Bathursts were over anyway) he famously 'accidentally' crashed the 05 Mobil Commodore in practice. Heh, heh, heh.

Boy, you didn't see the ten commandments laying around back there did you John?

[Kingair]

Mr Bond was playing the long game, for the team and Ford.

[Henry]

Bondy was a natural sportsman - a great soccer player and yachtsman outside his motor racing achievements. I get the impression that motor racing never consumed him as thoroughly as it did Moffat, and regardless of what he did achieve, I reckon he could've done even more, had his focus been as finely-focused as Allan's was.

On That Day, the #1 car was completely brakeless at the end - George Smith talks about it in his Sleuth podcast episode (there are three of them, and they're more than worth the time taken to listen!). They had been prepared to change pads, and curiously didn't avail themselves of the opportunity to do it... and then it was all too late.

I don't think Moffat actively loitered, waiting for Bond to catch him... there was nothing he could have done about it. Had it been any other car than the second MFDT Falcon, the race would've been lost, every bit as tragically as SVG did when his car stalled off the jacks and the starter motor failed, within spitting distance of a win.

Bond's actions were those of a professional: he drove to the team's instruction, to the brief he was handed. And the result was like no other, before or since. That we are talking about it with such passion, 47 years on is proof of that.

I often think that Moffat's standards of presentation, and the way his organisation conducted itself flattered to deceive, in terms of the actual budgets he commanded.

But Bondy... that he drove for as many factory-backed teams as he did is instructional... Holden, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Toyota... similarly, the calibre of other teams that picked him up as a co-driver... Bartlett, Roadways, GMS, Masterton... and then reiterate how he conducted himself On That Day.

All Class.

[High_OCTANE_HSV]

Gee that was a thread dredge and a half, almost 20 years