New Cat joins the Briggs litter
16/7/2000 13:56 (Jason Whittaker) - John Bowe’s chances of V8 Supercar success have been boosted with the announcement that experienced team manager, Alan Heaphy, had been recruited by the team.
The Heaphy appointment comes after obtaining engine man, Alan Draper, earlier in the year.
Draper had been managing the entire operation, a role Draper will be relieved of with the employment of Heaphy. Draper will concentrate on engine development.
Heaphy’s experience in the category – including, most recently, in the managerial role at Gibson Motorsport and the Romano operation – make him a valuable asset to the Brisbane-based John Briggs garage, says John Bowe.
"We have asked a lot of Alan Draper to head our engine program as well as run the entire team and having Alan Heaphy on board brings us another step closer to challenging at the sharp end of the grid on a consistent basis," Bowe said.
"With the two Alans, we now have two of the most experienced guys in V8 Supercar racing in our team,” he said.
"To be successful, there is more to it than just driving well - you need a great team of people behind you. You have to build towards that success and I congratulate our team owner John Briggs in grabbing a key player like Alan Heaphy," Bowe concluded.
Heaphy’s resume is as impressive as any in the Supercar paddock, including key roles in the World Rally Championship and with Nissan’s European Touring Car Championship, Sportscar Championship and British Touring Car Championship teams.
His credits in Australia are just impressive, where he has worked as team manager for Gibson Motorsport (in the dominant Nissan Skyline GT-R era) and Wayne Gardner Racing.
Heaphy rejoined Gibson Motorsport to again become Fred Gibson’s right-hand-man in 1998, and was the mastermind behind the Wynn’s Racing Bathurst victory last year.
"I think this team has enormous potential and I am thrilled with the opportunity that John Briggs has given me," Alan Heaphy said.
"The team has some very exciting plans ahead and I believe we have all the ingredients to be a very good team,” he said.
"By the time the endurance races come around at Queensland Raceway and Bathurst, I really think we can be a force to be reckoned with. John Bowe is one of the best in the business and I am really looking forward to working with Jim Richards again,” Heaphy said.
Team owner, John Briggs, spoke of the Heaphy signing as a great coup for the CAT Racing operation.
"People with Alan Heaphy's experience don't become available every day of the week," Briggs said.
"We are working on some very exciting developments and although we have shown glimpses of outstanding form - I really believe we will make a lot of people sit up and take notice in the year's ahead,” he said.
Heaphy is today heading Bowe’s campaign at Winton Raceway, where he is starting the black and yellow Falcon 10th on the grid.
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