Harvey Competes at ADRL Opener

Photo by Gena White ~ Text by Danny White

Heath Harvey raced in the recently completed American Drag Racing League Safety-Kleen Dragpalooza V held at Houston Raceway Park in Baytown Texas. Even though Harvey did not qualify for the very tough Pro Extreme field that required a 3.99 elapsed time in the eighth mile; he did run a best of 4.128, 180.40 in the JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports Grand Prix that placed him 25th in a field that included 39 qualifiers. Most if not all of the other teams are better funded than the low-budget JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports team, who get the most from their 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix. 

Heath Harvey has been driving the JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports backed Grand Am for the last four years with partner Jeff Thomas of Mt Pleasant, Texas. In 2005, the team paired up to run their specially built Pontiac Grand Am after racing locally in bracket racing. Harvey and Thomas chose to run the Outlaw Top Sportsman series in Texas in their Pontiac for cars that run on a 4.70 index. Harvey won the 2005 OTS championship in his first year. In 2006 the team stepped up to run the Pro Modified class, Pro Modifieds are drag racing’s fastest door cars with speeds in the 200 MPH range in the eighth mile. The JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports team has raced in the class for the last three years with the Texas Outlaw Pro Modified Association, which hold races across Texas, and the occasional ADRL race.

In 2008, Harvey finished fifth out of 30 plus racers who runs the TOPMA series standing in which Ken Thomas, father of Jeff Thomas, won in the other Thomas Motorsports entry. Harvey ran a best of 4.08, 180 last year at the ADRL World Finals race held at Ennis, Texas. The JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports has shown the potential to run a coveted three second eighth mile run, but gremlins have kept them from doing it so far.

The race at Baytown was the first of the year for the JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports team. The team put down three solid passes without hurting any parts in qualifying giving a good baseline to build on this year. The JP Harvey Motors/Thomas Motorsports team plans are to race the local TOPMA series and ADRL races when possible.