John Francis Harvey is a retired Australian racing driver. He was a top speedway driver for many years in the 1950s/1960s winning many championship races including NSW Championship 3 successive years, Victorian Championship twice.

After switching from speedway to road racing, Harvey drove cars such as the Austin Cooper S and Brabham BT14 Ford 1.5 litre. Harvey won the 1966 Australian 1½ Litre Championship

Australian 1½ Litre Championship

The Australian 1½ Litre Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title contested annually from 1964 to 1968. It was open to drivers of cars complying with the Australian 1½ Litre Formula which specified open wheel racing cars fitted with unsupercharged engines using commercially...

 and in the same year finished runner up in the Australian Drivers' Championship

Australian Drivers' Championship

The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

 Gold Star) for 2.0 litre cars in the same car competing against much more powerful machinery. He began an involvement with Bob Jane’s

Bob Jane

Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australian former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000 and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre retailers,...

 racing team in 1967 and moved to Melbourne. Harvey won the 1971

1971 Australian Sports Car Championship

The 1971 Australian Sports Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group A Sports Cars, Group B Improved Production Sports Cars and Group D Series Production Sports Cars....

 and 1972

1972 Australian Sports Car Championship

The 1972 Australian Sports Car Championship was open to drivers of:* CAMS Group A Sports Cars * CAMS Group B Sports Cars * CAMS Group D Production Sports CarsThe title was contested over a six round series:...

 Australian Sports Car Championship

Australian Sports Car Championship

The Australian Sports Car Championship was the CAMS sanctioned national title for Sports Car drivers in the years from 1969 to 1988. Each championship was contested over a series of races with the exception of the 1975 title, which was awarded on the results of a single race held at the Phillip...

s driving the McLaren M6B Repco-Holden V8 for Bob Jane

Bob Jane

Robert "Bob" Jane is an Australian former race car driver and prominent businessman. A four-time winner of the Armstrong 500, the race that became the prestigious Bathurst 1000 and a four-time Australian Touring Car Champion, Jane is perhaps known best nowadays for his chain of tyre retailers,...

. He drove Jane's Repco V8 powered Holden Torana

Holden Torana

The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...

 in Sports Sedan

Australian Sports Sedan Championship

The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations...

 racing in the early 1970s, winning both the Toby Lee Series

Toby Lee Series

The Toby Lee Series was an Australian motor racing series run at Oran Park Raceway in Sydney, between 1970 and 1975.In 1970 Oran Park, with backing from sponsors Toby Lee and department store Grace Brothers, launched a new series of races for Group E Series Production sedans...

 at Oran Park

Oran Park Raceway

Oran Park Raceway was a motor racing circuit at Narellan in southwestern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia which was operational from 1962 to 2010....

 and the Marlboro Series at Calder Park Raceway

Calder Park Raceway

Calder Park Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The complex includes a drag strip, a road circuit with several possible configurations, and the "Thunderdome", a high-speed banked oval equipped to race either clockwise or counter-clockwise .-History:Calder Park...

 in 1973.

In 1976 John Harvey won the first round of the Australian Touring Car Championship

Australian Touring Car Championship

The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...

 in a one-off drive in a B&D Autos-sponsored Torana L34 at Symmons Plains. Later in the year Harvey was signed up to co-drive with Colin Bond

Colin Bond

Colin John Bond is a retired Australian racing driver. Bond reached the highest levels in Australian motorsport in 1969 when he was recruited by Harry Firth to the newly formed Holden Dealer Team...

 in the Holden Dealer Team

Holden Dealer Team

The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...

 Torana L34 which finished a close second in the Bathurst 1000

Bathurst 1000

The Bathurst 1000 is a touring car race held annually at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia...

.

The race winning #7 Holden was accidentally credited with an extra lap, putting it ahead of the #1 Holden. The error was picked up after the race and the relevant race official offered the Holden Dealer Team, the official factory team, the right to appeal. However, the #7 car was entered by Ron Hodgson Motors, one of Holden's biggest dealerships. The Holden hierarchy decided it would be good 'politic' to let Bob Morris and British sportscar racer John Fitzpatrick keep the win. Holden apologised to John Harvey for this at a testimonial dinner in 2002.

With Bond leaving the Holden team at the end of 1976, Harvey then became the lead driver for the 1977 season.

In 1978 Peter Brock

Peter Brock

Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...

 re-joined the Holden Dealer Team and became No.1 driver with Harvey driving the No.2 car. This established the pattern for almost a decade. The Harvey car effectively becoming Brock’s backup, notably winning the 1978 Rothmans 500

1978 Rothmans 500

The 1978 Rothmans 500 was an endurance motor race for Group C Touring Cars. The event was held at Oran Park in New South Wales, Australia on 4 June 1978 over 222 laps of the 2.7 km circuit, a total distance of 599.4 km...

 event at Oran Park teamed with Charlie O'Brien. 1980 Peter Brock took over the Holden Dealer Team, deciding John Harvey would not contest the ATCC races and contest only the endurance races at the end of the year. This decision continued for the entire time John Harvey raced for Brock. Although Harvey won the Bathurst 1000 in 1983

1983 James Hardie 1000

The 1983 James Hardie 1000 was the 24th running of the Bathurst 1000 touring car race. It was an endurance race for Touring Cars complying with CAMS Group C regulations. It was held on October 2, 1983 at the Mount Panorama Circuit just outside Bathurst and was Round 4 of the 1983 Australian...

 in a Holden Dealer Team Holden Commodore

Holden Commodore

The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...

, it was in controversial circumstances as Brock and his co-driver Larry Perkins

Larry Perkins

Larry Clifton Perkins is a former racing driver and V8 Supercar team owner from Australia.-Career:...

 took over the car, their Commodore having retired from the race.

Harvey split with Brock by 1987, being unhappy with Brock’s flirtation with ‘New Age’ ideas like his ‘Energy Polariser’. Harvey told his side of the story of the split in Bill Tuckey’s 1987 book The Rise and Fall of Peter Brock.

In March 1987 Harvey teamed up with Allan Moffat

Allan Moffat

Allan George Moffat, OBE is an Australian racing driver known for his four wins in the Australian Touring Car Championship, six wins in the Sandown 500 and his four wins in the Bathurst 1000...

 to drive a Commodore to victory in the first round of the 1987 World Touring Car Championship

1987 World Touring Car Championship season

The 1987 World Touring Car Championship season was the inaugural World Touring Car Championship season. It commenced on March 22, 1987 and ended on November 15 after eleven races. The championship was open to Touring Cars complying with FIA Group A regulations.-Drivers and teams:Fifteen registered...

 at the famous Monza

Autodromo Nazionale Monza

The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is a race track located near the town of Monza, north of Milan, in Italy. The circuit's biggest event is the Formula One Italian Grand Prix, which has been hosted there since the sport's inception....

 circuit in Italy. After finishing seventh, the pair were promoted as the first six BMW M3

BMW M3

The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E90/E92/E93 3-series, and sold with coupé, sedan and convertible body styles...

s were disqualified from the race. Spa Francorchamps 24H August 1987, Class win and 4th outright behind the works BMW Team.

Career results

Season	Series	Position	Car	Team
1965 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1965 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula regulations. The title was contested over a six race series with the winner awarded the 1965 CAMS Gold Star....	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	10th	Brabham BT14 Ford	RC Phillips Sports Cars
1966 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1966 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of racing cars complying with either the Australian National Formula or the Australian 1½ Litre Formula...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	2nd	Brabham BT14 Ford	RC Phillips Sports Cars
1966	Australian 1½ Litre Championship Australian 1½ Litre Championship The Australian 1½ Litre Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title contested annually from 1964 to 1968. It was open to drivers of cars complying with the Australian 1½ Litre Formula which specified open wheel racing cars fitted with unsupercharged engines using commercially...	1st	Brabham BT14 Ford	RC Phillips Sports Cars
1966 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars. The championship was contested over a single 75 mile race staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on Easter Monday, 11...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	4th	Morris Cooper S
1967 1967 Tasman Series The 1967 Tasman Series was the fourth Tasman Series season. It began on 7 January 1967 and ended on 6 March after eight races.-Races:Races with a pink background did not contribute to the points standings.- Standings :...	Tasman Series Tasman Series The Tasman Series was a motor racing series held from 1964 to 1975, in Australia and New Zealand, and named after the Tasman Sea between the two countries...	10th	Brabham BT14 Ford
1967 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1967 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula or Australian 1½ Litre Formula regulations. The winner of the championship was awarded the 1967 CAMS Gold Star...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	4th	Brabham BT14 Ford Brabham BT11 Climax
1969 1969 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1969 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars conforming to Australian National Formula or Australian 1½ Litre Formula regulations...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	4th	Brabham BT23E Repco
1970 1970 Tasman Series The 1970 Tasman Series was the seventh in the series, beginning on 3 January and ending on 22 February after seven races. The series was won by Graeme Lawrence of New Zealand, driving the Ferrari 246T that fellow New Zealander Chris Amon raced to win the 1969 series.It was a transitional year, the...	Tasman Series Tasman Series The Tasman Series was a motor racing series held from 1964 to 1975, in Australia and New Zealand, and named after the Tasman Sea between the two countries...	12th	Brabham BT23E Repco
1970 1970 Australian Drivers' Championship The 1970 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2 racing cars...	Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Drivers' Championship The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...	3rd	Brabham BT23E Repco
1971 1971 Australian Sports Car Championship The 1971 Australian Sports Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Group A Sports Cars, Group B Improved Production Sports Cars and Group D Series Production Sports Cars....	Australian Sports Car Championship Australian Sports Car Championship The Australian Sports Car Championship was the CAMS sanctioned national title for Sports Car drivers in the years from 1969 to 1988. Each championship was contested over a series of races with the exception of the 1975 title, which was awarded on the results of a single race held at the Phillip...	1st	McLaren McLaren McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...  M6B Repco
1972 1972 Australian Sports Car Championship The 1972 Australian Sports Car Championship was open to drivers of:* CAMS Group A Sports Cars * CAMS Group B Sports Cars * CAMS Group D Production Sports CarsThe title was contested over a six round series:...	Australian Sports Car Championship Australian Sports Car Championship The Australian Sports Car Championship was the CAMS sanctioned national title for Sports Car drivers in the years from 1969 to 1988. Each championship was contested over a series of races with the exception of the 1975 title, which was awarded on the results of a single race held at the Phillip...	1st	McLaren McLaren McLaren Racing Limited, trading as Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, is a British Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, United Kingdom. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor but has also competed and won in the Indianapolis 500 and Canadian-American Challenge Cup...  M6B Repco	Bob Jane Racing
1972 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1972 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title open to Group C Improved Production Touring Cars and Group E Series Production Touring Cars. The championship, which was the 13th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, began at Symmons...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	9th	Holden HQ Monaro GTS 350 Holden Monaro The Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005...	Bob Jane Racing
1973	Toby Lee Series	1st	Holden LJ Torana Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the... -Repco Repco Repco is an Australian automotive engineering company. Its name is an abbreviation of Replacement Parts Company and it is best known for spare parts and motor accessories....	Bob Jane Racing
1976 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship was a series of motor races for Touring cars conforming to the Australia Group C touring car regulations. It was the 17th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains Raceway on 29 February and ended at Phillip Island...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	11th	Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...	B&D Autos Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...
1977 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1977 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing championship open to Group C Touring Cars. It was the 18th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and it began at Symmons Plains Raceway on 7 March and ended at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on 20...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	6th	Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the... Holden LX Torana SS A9X Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...	Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...
1978 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 19th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains and ended at Adelaide International Raceway after eight rounds...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	8th	Holden LX Torana SS A9X Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...	Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...
1979 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1979 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 20th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began at Symmons Plains and ended at Adelaide International Raceway after eight rounds...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	3rd	Holden LX Torana SS A9X Holden Torana The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...	Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...
1984 1984 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1984 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 25th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship, and was the last year of Group C regulations. The following year would see the introduction of the international Group A regulations...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	33rd	Holden VH Commodore Holden VH Commodore The Holden VH Commodore, an evolution of the previous Holden Commodore VC model, was released in October 1981. The frontal appearance was mildly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille and new lighting components designed to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics...	Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...
1985 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1985 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Touring Cars. It was the 26th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the first to be contested using regulations based on the FIA's International Group A regulations...	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	19th	Holden VK Commodore Holden VK Commodore The Holden VK Commodore was introduced in 1984 and replaced the VH. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and introduced rear quarter windows for a six-window design as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodore models...	Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...
1986 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship The 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship was the 27th running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It began on 2 March 1986 at Amaroo Park and ended on 13 July at Oran Park Raceway after ten rounds....	Australian Touring Car Championship Australian Touring Car Championship The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...	11th	Holden VK Commodore SS Group A	Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team The Holden Dealer Team was Holden’s semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1987, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and sports sedans during the 1970s...