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BATHURST, Central West, NSW, Australia – Motorsport legends and everyday people around the world have paid tribute to 1983 Bathurst 1000 victor John Harvey who died on the weekend aged 82.

“I just want to sit back and look at photos and remember the good times I had with John,” Australian motorsport icon Allan Moffat told Speedcafe.com.

“He was such a lovely gentleman.”

“I had so many good times with John and Beverly. This breaks my heart,” Moffat said Sunday.

Another legend Dick Johnson said: “Slug (Harvey) was the backstop for HDT and Holden for so long. He should have won Bathurst more than once, but he copped it on the chin.”

Former teammate Larry Perkins described Harvey’s passing as a “sad day” for Australian racing.

“I had the pleasure of working with and co-driving with John over a long period of time,” he told Speedcafe.

“John will be very missed by all, his easy-going, no-hassle style was a trademark. RIP John, a true gentleman.”

Driving for Holden Dealer Teamcar, in the team’s number two car which had won the race the previous year, Harvey took out the 1983 Bathurst 1000 in unusual, unconventional, and controversial, circumstances.

After the first 8 laps, Teamcar’s number one car, driven by Peter Brock and Perkins, was forced out of the race after their engine blew up. Brock and Perkins then replaced Harvey and co-driver Phil Brock (Peter Brock’s brother), taking over the number two car.

Brock and Perkins proceeded to finish the race in front, by more than a lap, and the three drivers were crowned champions in what was described as a historic first for the iconic Mt Panorama race. Many in the sport believed Brock and Perkins should not have been allowed to take over their team’s second car, but both were cross-registered and the rules allowed it. Unluckily for Phil Brock, he had not participated at the point the top duo took over.

“Last night at 8:45 sadly our Dad, John Francis Harvey, passed away peacefully with his family by his side,” John Harvey’s family posted on 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,” the Harvey family statement said.

“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,” the statement added.

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

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