Long-time Holden factory driver in the Australian Touring Car Championship and winner of the 1983 Bathurst 1000, John Harvey, has passed away.
The popular racer’s terminal lung cancer was confirmed in November. At the time of his passing he was surrounded by family.
“Last night at 8:45 sadly our Dad John Francis Harvey passed away peacefully with his family by his side. Most people will have fond memories of Dad’s amazing racing career & the great memories of him will live on forever,” read a statement published by Harvey’s family on social media.
“To us he was much more, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather, supporting all of us whenever we needed his guidance & love. What a life he has lived travelling the world racing with and against the best in the business, always a true gentleman.
“We all know his most proudest achievement was us. We will dearly miss him but we know the time was right.”
Harvey’s racing career bisects with the likes of Peter Brock and Allan Moffat. He’s a past winner of the Australian Sports Car Championship and 1.5 Litre Championship, while also competing at a high level in speedway.
He’s best known, though, for his lengthy stint with the Holden Dealer Team from 1976 to 1986.
This stint included numerous highlights; most notably Bathurst victory in 1983 with Brock and Larry Perkins (Brock commandeering Harvey’s car after his had encountered issues, having cross-entered the lead drivers in the team’s second entry) and a third-place finish in the 1979 series.
Most recently, Harvey was inducted into the Australian Motor Sport Hall of Fame and was earlier this year a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to motorsport. He was 82-years-old.