Bathurst 1000 champion John Harvey dead at 82

The family of John Harvey have confirmed the Australian motorsport great lost his battle with lung cancer this weekend aged 82.

John Harvey has died aged 82.

Bathurst 1000 champion John Harvey has passed away aged 82.

The Australian motorsport great lost his battle with lung cancer on Saturday evening, his family confirmed in a statement.

“Last night at 8:45 sadly our Dad, John Francis Harvey, passed away peacefully with his family by his side,” his family posted to Facebook.

“Most people will have fond memories of Dad’s amazing racing career and the great memories of him will live on forever.

“To us he was much more, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, supporting all of us whenever we needed his guidance and 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.”

Representing Holden Dealer Teamcar, Harvey won the 1983 Bathurst 1000 in unconventional circumstances.

Having driven the opening eight laps in the team’s second car, Harvey was replaced by Peter Brock and Larry Perkins, whose car had broken down.

Peter Brock receives his winners trophy from Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke with Larry Perkins and John Harvey.

Brock and Perkins proceeded to win the event by more than a lap, and the trio were crowned champions in a historic first for the iconic Mt Panorama race.

Harevy raced in the Bathurst 1000 on 18 occasions and was a three-time runner-up, achieving the feat in 1976, 1984 and 1986.

After retiring from the sport in 1988, Harvey was inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2018 and awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to motorsport in 2020.