Mike Harris (25 May 1939 – 8 November 2021) was a Northern Rhodesian racing driver who later moved to South Africa. He took part in one World Championship
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
Grand Prix, the
1962 South African Grand Prix
The 1962 South African Grand Prix, formally titled the 9th International RAC Grand Prix of South Africa, was a Formula One motor race held at East London on 29 December 1962. It was the ninth and final race in both the 1962 World Championship ...
, from which he retired.
Career
Harris was born in
Mufulira
Mufulira, is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Mufulira means "Place of Abundance and Peace". The town developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. The town also serves as the administrative capital of Mufulira District.
...
, Northern Rhodesia. There is a great amount of confusion existing about his racing years with respect to which country he represented, it being variably given as either Rhodesia or
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
, although he resided in none of the two countries at the time: in the early 1960s when he competed in auto racing, Northern Rhodesia where he lived was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, from which both Northern Rhodesia and
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was a landlocked self-governing British Crown colony in southern Africa, established in 1923 and consisting of British South Africa Company (BSAC) territories lying south of the Zambezi River. The region was informally kno ...
split again in 1963, the latter being known as just Rhodesia throughout most of its history.
He won the 1962 Rhodesian Championship with his
Cooper T53
The Cooper T53 is a Formula One car built by British motorsport team Cooper for the 1960 Formula One season. Jack Brabham drove it to his second World Championship that year, and with teammate Bruce McLaren gave Cooper its second Constructors' Cham ...
, powered by an
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...
engine. On 2 December of that year he qualified third for the 1962 Rhodesian Grand Prix, and finished the race in the same position behind Gary Hocking and
Neville Lederle
Neville Lederle (25 September 1938 – 17 May 2019) was a racing driver from South Africa. He participated in two World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, scoring a single championship point.
Early life
Lederle was born in Theunissen, Ora ...
. He then travelled to South Africa and took part in the 1962 Rand Grand Prix, qualifying 20th from an entry of 34 cars, but retiring from the race with a puncture. The following week he qualified 17th fastest for the 1962 Natal Grand Prix, but retired from his heat and so missed the final.
After Christmas Harris was part of a stronger international field for the South African Grand Prix which would decide the 1962 World Championship. In the first practice session on Boxing Day he suffered an engine failure and he missed the following day's practice while he made repairs. During the final practice session on the third day, he suffered with the same issues again and posted the 15th fastest time, with only Carel Godin de Beaufort having a slower time. Having rebuilt the engine again before the race, Harris circulated towards the back of the field, running ahead of de Beaufort and Bruce Johnstone, and subsequently other drivers whose cars suffered problems. However, on lap 32 of the 82 lap race, Harris retired from tenth position with the same engine bearing failure that had plagued him in practice.
Harris subsequently decreased his involvement in the sport and retired, at least partly due to the death of Gary Hocking at the Natal Grand Prix. He later ran
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...
and
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
dealerships in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia from 1964) and Zimbabwe, before retiring to live in
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
, South Africa with his wife Patricia Harris.
Harris died in Durban on 8 November 2021, aged 82.