1991 - Was hooked on rally after working the 1991 POR.
1992 - Rookie driver in Production GT in 1992.
1994 - Third at Lake Superior and second at Wild West were best overall finishes.
1995 - Won his first-ever PRO Rally event at the Lake Superior PRO Rally.
1996 - Won Ojibwe and was second at Rim with limited appearances.
1997 - Organized SNO*Drift PRO Rally; won Rim of the World; destroyed car in
Prescott; new car finished in Mich.
1998 - Took year off to concentrate on family; ran Rim and DNFed; planned to
run LSPR, but lent his car to David Summerbell to help Jamaican win title.
Unlike many drivers who have entered PRO Rally, Henry Joy has been successful because he was able to go as fast as his ability takes him. Henry started his first PRO Rally season in 1992 in a Production GT Mazda 323GTX, and finished all but one event, narrowly missing a shot at the Production GT title.
The turning point for his season in '92 was the hiring of veteran co-driver Jimmy Brandt, who helped him determine how to go fast, yet pace himself during the long rally events. For the '94 season, Joy again turned to a veteran co-driver - Canadian Brian Maxwell - to help guide him to a top season finish. For his championship push in 1995, Joy hired Chris Griffin, perennial class champion in the California Rally Series. For the last part of the 1996 season Henry had success - and his only win of the season - with co-driver Michael Fennell of Jamaica.
For '93, Joy built an Open class Mitsubishi Eclipse. In the first event in Olympia, Washington, Joy/Brandt finished a fine 11th overall and seventh in the Open class, while they were fifth overall (only 9 seconds out of fourth) at Rim, and seventh at STPR. Their third overall at Prescott, fifth overall at Westcliffe, and fourth overall at POR gave Joy third place in the Open class and fifth place overall in the final '93 point standings.
Not to be idle over that winter, Joy converted his old Mazda 323GTX into an ice racer, and has competed on that circuit as well. He also competed in the Vauxhaul Rally - part of the British Open Championship - in March, finishing a respectable 31st overall in a Group N Mitsubishi Galant.
To open the '94 season, Joy was a disappointing DNF at the Doo Wop divisional in March, but came back strong to finish second overall - his best finish ever - at the Wild West PRO Rally in Olympia, Washington, and feels he is on the verge of winning his first event overall before the end of the year. He won the last three stages outright at Rim of the World in Palmdale, California, and had the third-fastest times overall, but finished fourth due to a one-minute penalty. At the Ojibwe Forests Rally, it was over before it began for Joy, whose engine threw a bearing during fuel management systems tests before the event began. Bad luck continued at the Sunriser 400 event, where Joy/Maxwell rolled their car on stage four. Henry and Brian finally broke out of their funk at the Lake Superior PRO Rally in Michigan with a fine third place finish behind Buffum and Peter Moodie.
Henry built a Mitsubishi Lancer for the 1995 series and debuted it in July in Maine Forest Summer Rally, but ran off the road on stage #1 and punctured the oil cooler. He had better luck through the Ojibwe Forests in Northern Minnesota, finishing third in the car's first finish in August. Joy and Griffin finally broke through at the Lake Superior PRO Rally event in October, outlasting Choiniere and Merrill for the victory. That victory kept his championship hopes alive until the last event, when Choiniere finshed second to clinch the title.
In his Mitsubishi Eclipse, early in the season, he accumulated points with a second-place finish at Wild West, a fourth - just 3 seconds ahead of Carl Merrill - at Sunriser, and a third - just 17 seconds behind Peter Moodie at Rim of the World. At STPR in Pennsylvania, Joy was right on the tail of a faltering Choiniere when a check-in time penalty cost him the event.
For 1996, Joy took a break from the PRO Rally circuit to enjoy his time with newborn son Henry Bourne Joy V and wife Robbie, but he ran three events, including an exciting win at Ojibwe, a second at Rim, and a DNF at Lake Superior.
Henry showed a new confidence in 1997, stepping out to a great win at the rough Rim of the World event in California, and putting up great stage times in all the events he entered. At the Prescott Forest Rally, Joy was trying to make up 12 seconds on the last stage to beat Paul Choiniere when his car went off the road at high speed into a canyon, destroying the shell.
Joy and Fennell escaped with minor injuries, but the car was finished. T.A.D Motorsports build Joy a new car in just 10 days from a spare rolling chassis, and he finished fourth at the Lake Superior event - a good result, but Choiniere's win clinched the title for Paul.
In 1998, Joy's family had another newborn, and Henry again cut back on his rally schedule - planning to run just Rim and Lake Superior. After breaking at Rim, he looked forward to his home rally in Michigan. When David Summerbell broke his car at the press stage at LSPR, Joy lent David his car, enabling the Jamaican to win the title, but depriving Henry of a chance to run.
Joy owns his own production company - "Stopped Motion" - and makes commercials, music videos and documentaries. He lives on the family farm in Atlanta, Michigan, and organized the 1997 SNO*DRIFT PRO Rally, which made its first appearance on the national schedule last year.