This week it is my sad duty to relate the passing of a friend and one of the true characters of Canterbury Motorsport.
Harold Heasley from Rangiora died this week aged 85. He was the inaugural NZ Saloon Car Champion and he won the title by fighting off more powerful cars including Jaguars and Zephyrs with his locally modified Hillman Minx in 1960. Heasley and his crew travelled to circuits throughout the country using his race car as transport.
He was regarded by visiting international drivers in the 1950s and 60s as a fine prospect and at one stage he looked at importing a Lotus from England to continue his racing career. That didn’t eventuate and so he focused on work and family.
Many racing drivers retire from the sport and are never seen at the circuit again but Heasley maintained his interest, attending most meets over many years at Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna in Christchurch as a guest of honour.
Far from taking a casual interest he could be seen busily noting down lap times and filling the race placings in his programme.
The media room at Ruapuna is adjacent to the guest lounge and because of his keen interest in knowing what was going on he was a frequent visitor in search of results and information.
He was so well thought of by the Canterbury Car Club that they named the VIP lounge in his honour. Heasley’s racing career is the subject of a feature story by Eion Young in the latest edition of Classic Driver Magazine.
