When fans think of the name Alan Heaphy, memories come flooding back of his work with Gibson Motorsport and Wayne Gardner Racing during the 1990s, but his overseas work prior with Nissan led to the heights of Le Mans.
Heaphy initially started in rallying locally before this took him to the UK where he ran an Australian before coming to the notice of Nissan Europe’s Howard Marsden.
Marsden held strong history in Australia through his work with Ford, before handling Datsun/Nissan’s rallying program and switch to touring cars in the early-1980s.
Recruiting Heaphy as a mechanic first, Marsden believed in Australian’s potential in his management skills and was right after installing him at the start of the Nissan Europe program.
Nissan was diving into European racing during the mid-stages of the decade through Group C Sports Cars first, then a European Touring Car Championship campaign using the HR31 GTS-R spearheaded by Allan Grice and Win Percy.
The GTS-R was outgunned by the Sierras and M3s dominating the touring car scene, but this was short-lived when the ETCC ended after Nissan’s maiden season.
Heaphy was part of the ETCC support crew to finish a best of second at the Nogaro finale in the hands of Win Percy due to the event being split between two Heats.
Nissan’s highly technological Group C program followed leading to a World Sports Car Championship headlined by Le Mans just as the Japanese manufacturers were ramping up the push to win the French classic led by Toyota and Mazda.
This included pole at Le Mans when the boost control system failed and Mark Blundell broke the qualifying lap record in 1990 leading the Nissan producing 1300-1400 bhp.
Returning to his home country to aid Fred Gibson’s team to create ‘Godzilla’, Heaphy’s aim from Japan was simple – to win Bathurst.
Group C experience proved beneficial for Heaphy due to the advanced PI computer software, while Gibson Motorsport had hit a sweet spot in terms of the crew working within the team.
The next challenge was a return to the UK to lead Nissan’s touring car program in 1993 with the Janspeed team.
Heaphy was introduced to the team and in what was developing into an important championship worldwide, the Janspeed Nissan Primeras proved one of the leading packages in the title.
BMW’s famed Schnitzer squad entered the series and dominated, but Kieth O’Dor scored a memorable victory in the British Grand Prix support race at Silverstone leading a Nissan 1-2 from teammate Win Percy.
Following this season where O’Dor, son of team owner Jan, it marked the end of Heaphy’s overseas career as he returned to lead Wayne Gardner Racing in 1994.
Heaphy will be in attendance at the Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival on March 8-9.