Harvey T

[Agitator]

We seemed to have hijacked the Z-10 thread, so I figured I'd start a new one.

John G was talking about the current ownership of Harvey's FV - the Shadowfax. Got to see the car at the West Palm national this year. It looks great....better than when he drove it. Mainly because it has a nice paint job. For someone who was so innovative and had great attention to detail, Harvey let his wife, Jewel, paint the car with a brush! You could see the lap marks on it!

Another somewhat FF related story - Jeff Carlin, who would later make one of the early Crossles go about as fast as it could - acquired Harvey's Ringwraith FV. Carlin had been driving the bottom of the dip at Road Atlanta (before its castration) with the left wheels in the grass. Apparently he thought this was a straighter line, and even passed some people with this technique during the two nationals held there during the season (I believe this was '76 or '77). Anyway, at the runoffs he decides to do this during either practice or qualifying.....unfortunately the track had since dug a small drainage ditch to handle the accumulation of water at the bottom of the dip. I think he snapped some pieces and bruised his arse!

The things I remember about Harvey in his Ford days was driving with ballet slippers because he liked the feel and the footbox was so small. His radiator hung out the side and lay flat.....I know it helped with the narrowness of the car, but did he ever mention if he got some sort of ground effect result from this?

James

[GBugg]

ahhhh... "the dip"

No roller coaster in world can compare!

[Brian]

I only ran Road Atlanta once, and it was when the dip was still there. about 8500 RPM flat in a 1961 MG Midget - later calculated to be 128 MPH or so - way faster than a little vintage 1275 Midget was intended to go! roller coaster indeed....

Brian

[John Robinson II]

I remember Harvey's car at one of the Daytona nationals. Rads laying flat and he used STORM DOOR SPRINGS for the rear suspension. He would come in unhook or attach a few of them and go back out and try again. The other thing I remember was him running away from everyone. Those were the days. Hell I wasnt even old enough to get a drivers license back then. One innovative and smart man. Sure do miss him after hearing lots of stories from Steve Robertson. Would love to pick his brain about the "new" cars and what he would do to them.

John

[jgaither]

Some years after I retired from racing I was traveling a lot in TN. On the way to Nashville from Chatanooga I called him and detoured over to Winchester. Harvey's home was not extravagant, but it was a fine old Southern mansion looking place with columns and really high ceilings. He took me out to the shop where he built everything and where he had his engine dyno. The man would design something without any plans written out and just build it. This is one of MJ's challenges in restoring the Ringwraith - no drawings. We reminisced about our racing days & he was ever the gracious host. But, you could always see that competitive gleam in his eye. He was 57 when he started. I don't recall his age when he finally quit, but it wasn't young - except to Harvey, of course. He was 94 when he passed, and I'm surprised he didn't make 100.

He finally had to give up on the door spring suspension and go to something more conventional, but who would have ever done it to begin with. He always had something new at every race & I never failed to ask him what it was. He and Carlin were very close - something about impossible to be with Carlin, I assure you. His wife, Jewell, was a piece of work. Her hooby was white water kayaking! Quite a pair.

Harvey's occupation before taking up road racing? Nurseryman.

One of a kind. It's nice to have a forum to celebrate his life.

John Gaither

[Agitator]

JG,
You'd be surprised to know that JJ (Carlin) is apparently now ministering (what religion and to what extent I don't know).....and riding Harleys! My dad caught up with him a few years ago. Apparently has a place in very Western NC. I don't know all the details, but knowing what a cantankerous (sp.?) guy he was back in the day, it's more than humorous to hear he's apparently turned over a new leaf.

Speaking of Harvey again. My dad visited him at the Tennessee house back in the early 90's I believe. He went out to his shop too. Apparently he had a big drum in the corner - cardboard sides, but like an oil drum....filled with trophies! Didn't feel like throwing them away, but wasn't going to display them - always modest!

[jgaither]

James:

I spent about an hour on the phone with Jeff a few months ago. He lives near Blairsville,GA in NW Georgia. Yes, he's a changed man in the most important of ways. He spends time talking with and listening to people who don't have anyone else. Interesting, the more I talked with him, the more that tough streak started to come through. He's still very opinionated and very much the racer. One of the few of us that was able to make it to Harvey's funeral.

JG