From Wikipedia: 'John Harvey OAM was a top Australian racing driver.
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He was a leading Speedcar driver for many years in the 1950s and 1960s, winning many championship races including the NSW Championship for three successive years and the Victorian Championship twice before turning his skills to road racing where he had a long and successful career until his retirement at the end of 1988.
In 1987 John made history driving the General Motors Sunraycer to victory in the inaugural World Solar Challenge from Darwin to Adelaide, the first international race for purely solar powered cars.
Harvey's biggest win came with the Holden Dealer Team at the 1983 Bathurst 1000.
Originally to be partnered with Brock's brother Phil, Harvey qualified his #25 Holden VH Commodore in fifth place.
After just eight laps, Brock's car blew its engine, seemingly putting him and Perkins out of the race.
However, due to the pair being cross-entered in #25, Brock and Perkins then took over from Harvey for the rest of the race .
The race win was controversial at the time as many felt Brock and Perkins should not have been allowed to move into the HDT's second car after theirs retired.
Under race rules at the time however, cross-entering was allowed and had actually been used in previous 1000s, though this was the first time drivers had moved from one car to another and had gone on to win the race.'
My first memories of John Harvey were his early days in a black Austin Cooper S (76), and in particular three wheeling the car around Creek Corner at Sydney's now defunct Warwick Farm Circuit.
He was one of very few mini drivers who was competitive with Peter Manton and Brian Foley in their 1310 Cooper Ss.
Like the Geogheans, Bob Jane, Frank Matich, Peter Brock, Jack Brabham and Peter Manton his death sees an era further closing rapidly in Australian motorsport.
John Harvey died on the December 5, 2020 following a long battle with lung cancer, aged 82.
Thank you for the memories, John Harvey RIP.
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