Dan Harper

Last updated

Dan Harper
Dan Harper - 2017 Ginetta Junior Knockhill (Sunday, R2 podium).jpg
Harper in 2017
Nationality Flag of the United Kingdom.svg British
Born (2000-12-08) 8 December 2000 (age 23)
Hillsborough, Northern Ireland
British GT Championship career
Debut season 2023
Racing licence FIA Platinum Driver.png FIA Platinum
Car number91
Former teamsCentury Motorsport
Starts13
Wins2
Podiums4
Poles0
Fastest laps2
Best finish1st in 2023
Previous series
2016–17 Ginetta Junior Championship
Championship titles
2024

2023
2023
2019
2016
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup - Bronze Cup
British GT Championship
British GT Championship - Pro-Am
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
Ginetta Junior Championship - Rookie
Awards
2023
2020–22
2018–19
2016
BMW Factory Driver
BMW Junior Team
Porsche GB Junior
Ginetta Junior Scholar

Daniel "Dan" Harper (born 8 December 2000) is a racing driver from Northern Ireland. He is currently competing as a BMW Motorsport works driver and was the 2023 British GT champion. [1] [2]

Contents

Career

Starting his racing career aged six, Harper was a multiple champion in both quad bike and karting competition in his early years, before switching to junior rallying and winning three events in the Ireland Junior 1000 Rally Challenge in 2015.

Harper made the transition to circuit racing the following year after winning the Ginetta Junior Scholarship [3] and with it a fully-funded season in the Ginetta Junior Championship for 2016.

In his maiden campaign with Douglas Motorsport, he took two outright race victories and won the Rookie Cup title. [4] He returned for a second campaign and won seven races on his way to third in the final standings.

Harper then won his second manufacturer scholarship in three years, being named the 2018/19 Porsche GB Junior driver for the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain. [5] In his first year, he won two races and posted more pole positions and fastest laps than any other driver.

He went on to enjoy a sensational 2019 campaign. He won the drivers’ title [6] with more wins (8), podium finishes (13), pole positions (6) and fastest laps (11) than anyone else, and became only the third driver ever in the series to win races on six consecutive weekends.

For 2020/21, Harper was signed by BMW Motorsport to compete as part of their BMW Junior Team. [7] In each season, he contested the Nürburgring Endurance Series and ADAC TOTAL 24 Hours of Nürburgring alongside team-mates Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen.

Starting the 2020 NES season in a BMW M240i, the BMW Junior Team took a maiden class win in only their third race. A step up to a BMW M4 GT4 soon after yielded a class podium in their first race and a fantastic class victory in their first attempt at the ADAC TOTAL 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

For 2021, they moved up to the premier class in a BMW M6 GT3 with the experienced BMW Team RMG. A brilliant season saw them take two overall race wins and four podium finishes to finish as the overall Nürburgring Endurance Series vice-champions.

In 2022, Harper and the BMW Junior Team won a qualifier race ahead of the ADAC TOTAL 24 Hours of Nürburgring and took a podium finish during a two round stint in the Nürburgring Endurance Series with BMW Team RMG. They also contested a debut season in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with ROWE Racing, taking a best result of fourth in the 1000 km of Paul Ricard.

In 2023, Harper competed as a BMW works driver, entering the opening three rounds of the Nürburgring Endurance Series and the ADAC TOTAL 24 Hours of Nürburgring with BMW Team RMG, another full season in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with ROWE Racing, and a debut campaign in the British GT Championship with Century Motorsport. He was crowned the 2023 British GT champion alongside team-mate Darren Leung, after two race wins and four podium finishes.

Continuing as a BMW works driver in 2024, Harper contested a dual programme in the GT World Challenge Europe; entering the Endurance Cup with ROWE Racing and the Sprint Cup with Century Motorsport. Harper was crowned the 2024 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Bronze drivers' champion alongside team-mate Darren Leung, after two race wins and six podium finishes.

Harper secured a podium finish in the 2024 ADAC TOTAL 24 Hours of Nürburgring alongside Max Hesse and Charles Weerts with BMW Team RMG, as well as contesting a partial campaign in the British GT Championship alongside Michael Johnston at Century Motorsport.

Harper is a full member of the British Racing Drivers' Club. He was previously part of the BRDC SuperStars programme [8] and Motorsport UK Academy's Team UK programme.

Racing record

Career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2016 Ginetta Junior Championship Douglas Motorsport2520373905th
2017 Ginetta Junior Championship Douglas Motorsport26766156253rd
2018 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain JTR162376845th
2019 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain JTR168611131591st
Porsche Supercup 100000NC†
2020 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8T Walkenhorst Motorsport11101N/A1st
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8T FK Performance Motorsport3000111.254th
2021 Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team7200439.222nd
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 BMW Junior Team Shell 10000N/ADNF
2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup BMW Junior Team with ROWE Racing 500003611th
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team 200010NC†
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 BMW Junior Team Shell 10000N/ADNF
2023 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup ROWE Racing 500013310th
GT Winter Series Schubert Motorsport 211113310th
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro BMW Junior Team 310020NC†
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 10000N/ADNF
British GT Championship - GT3 Century Motorsport 920241761st
GT Cup Championship - Group GT3 211120NC†
2023-24 Asian Le Mans Series - GT Project 1 500001121st
2024 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup ROWE Racing
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Century Motorsport 800000NC
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup - Bronze Cup 8211687.51st
British GT Championship - GT3 400001416th
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 BMW M Team RMG 10001N/A3rd
24 Hours of Nürburgring Qualifiers - SP9 20000N/ANC†
Intercontinental GT Challenge BMW M Team RMG 10001365th
ROWE Racing 10000
Team WRT 10000

* Season still in progress.

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain results

YearTeam12345678910111213141516Pos.Points
2018 JTR BRH
1

13
BRH
2

7
DON
1

3
DON
2

7
MNZ
1

RET
MNZ
2

8
OUL
1

4
OUL
2

1
SNE
1

2
SNE
2

4
KNO
1

1
KNO
2

2
SIL
1

5
SIL
2

2
BGP
1

9
BGP
2

4
5th84
2019 JTR BRH
1

1
BRH
2

3
DON
1

1
DON
2

3
CRO
1

1
CRO
2

(6)
OUL
1

1
OUL
2

4
THR
1

1
THR
2

1
SIL
1

1
SIL
2

4
SIL
1

7
SIL
2

4
BGP
1

4
BGP
2

1
1st159

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results

YearTeamCarClass1234567Pos.Points
2022 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Pro IMO
15
LEC
4
SPA
6H

11
SPA
12H

2
SPA
24H

5
HOC
9
CAT
13
11th36
2023 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Pro MNZ
2
LEC
6
SPA
6H

4
SPA
12H

53
SPA
24H

Ret
NÜR
11
CAT
12
10th33
2024 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Pro LEC
1
SPA
6H

7
SPA
12H

17
SPA
24H

6
NÜR
11
MNZ
JED
4th*36*

*Season still in progress.

Complete British GT Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCarClass123456789DCPoints
2023 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 GT3 OUL
1

6
OUL
2

6
SIL
1

1
DON
1

5
SNE
1

2
SNE
2

5
ALG
1

5
BRH
1

1
DON
1

2
1st176
2024 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 GT3 OUL
1

9
OUL
2

14
SIL
1

17
DON
1

6
SPA
1
SNE
1
SNE
2
DON
1
BRH
1
16th14

Complete Asian Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamClassCarEngine12345Pos.Points
2023–24 Team Project 1 GT BMW M4 GT3 BMW S58B30T0 3.0 L Turbo I6 SEP
1

18
SEP
2

10
DUB
1

7
ABU
1

8
ABU
2

15
21st11

Complete GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearTeamCarClass12345678910Pos.Points
2024 Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Bronze BRH
1
BRH
2
MIS
1

17
MIS
2

20
HOC
1

15
HOC
2

11
MAG
1

21
MAG
2

26
CAT
1

21
CAT
2

22
1st87.5

Awards

YearNominated workCategoryResult
2019 Belfast Telegraph Sports AwardsYoung Player Of The YearWon
2019Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs' (ANICC) AwardsANICC Northern Ireland Motorsport AwardWon
2019 British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) AwardsThe Henry Surtees AwardWon
2019 Autosport Awards National Racing Driver of the YearNominated
2023Motorsport News AwardsNational Racing Driver of the YearNominated
2023 Autosport Awards National Racing Driver of the YearNominated
2023 British GT Championship Allan Simonsen Award (Driver of the Year)Won

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Harvey</span> British racing driver and commentator (born 1961)

Timothy James Harvey is a British racing driver, best known for being the 1992 British Touring Car Champion, and the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won sixteen races in the British Touring Car Championship between 1987 and 1995, and competed in the series until 2002. He was also the winner of the invitational Guia Race of Macau touring car event, in 1989.

Nathan Freke is a racing driver. He was the 2006 British Formula Ford Champion. Freke has held four British Kart Racing Championship Titles and in 2005 became the only driver ever to win an FIA/CIK Superkart Race in a Division 2 Kart against Division 1 Karts,.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maro Engel</span> German racing driver (born 1985)

Maro Engel is a German professional racing driver based in Monaco. He is a Mercedes-AMG factory driver since 2008 & brand ambassador since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Juncadella</span> Spanish racing driver

Daniel Juncadella Pérez-Sala is a Spanish racing driver who currently competes in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. He is son of Xavier Juncadella and nephew of José María Juncadella, Àlex Soler-Roig and Luis Pérez-Sala, also racecar drivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Yelloly</span> British racing driver

Nicholas Jon Yelloly is a British professional racing driver, and BMW Motorsport works driver. He is also currently a test and simulator driver for the Aston Martin F1 team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Basseng</span> German racing driver

Marc Basseng is a German racing driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patric Niederhauser</span> Racecar driver

Patric Niederhauser is a professional racing driver from Switzerland and a current Porsche factory driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raffaele Marciello</span> Swiss-born Italian racing driver (born 1994)

Raffaele "Lello" Marciello is a Swiss-born Italian professional racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup for BMW M Team WRT. A former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, he was the 2013 European Formula Three Champion, a reserve and test driver for the Sauber Formula One team in 2015, and spent three seasons competing in the GP2 Series. He switched to GT racing in 2017 and became a works Mercedes-AMG driver ahead of the 2018 campaign, where he stayed until leaving in 2023 and subsequently signing with BMW. In 2022, Marciello earned his first major endurance race victory by winning the Spa 24 Hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jody Fannin</span> British auto racing driver

Jody Fannin is a British auto racing driver. He competed in the European Le Mans Series in 2017, winning the GTE Championship with Rob Smith driving for JMW Motorsport in a Ferrari 488 GTE. He was the 2012 British GT GT4-class champion, along with Warren Hughes, driving for Team WFR in a Ginetta G50.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Watson (racing driver)</span> British racing driver (born 1995)

Andrew Robert Watson is a British racing driver from Northern Ireland currently competing in the British Touring Car Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowe Racing</span>

ROWE Racing is the motor racing team of the German lubricant manufacturer Rowe Mineralölwerk. Since 2011, ROWE Racing has competed in series such as the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the GT World Challenge Europe, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters and the 24 Hours Nürburgring. In 2020 it won both the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the Spa 24 Hours. In 2023 it won the Spa 24 Hours for the third time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricky Collard</span> British racing driver (born 1996)

Ricky Collard is a British racing driver currently competing in the British GT Championship. He is the son of former BTCC driver Rob Collard and the grandson of Hot Rod racer Mick Collard.

Neil Verhagen is a racing driver from the United States of America. Verhagen is the youngest to win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, having accomplished this in the Formula F category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dries Vanthoor</span> Belgian racing driver

Dries Vanthoor is a racing driver from Belgium who is set to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW M Team WRT. In his previous role as an Audi factory driver Vanthoor amassed multiple accolades, winning the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hours and 2019 24 Hours of Nürburgring, as well as taking three consecutive titles in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup from 2020 to 2022 alongside Charles Weerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry King (racing driver)</span> British racing driver

Harry King is a British racing driver, who currently competes in the Porsche Supercup for BWT Lechner Racing. King has previously competed in full seasons of the Ginetta Junior Championship and the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, winning the series championship in the latter, in 2019. In 2020, King won twelve out of sixteen races in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, to take the series title with a round to spare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Marschall</span> German racing driver (born 1996)

Dennis Marschall is a German racing driver who currently competes in the ADAC GT Masters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvin Dienst</span> German racing driver

Marvin Christopher Dienst is a German racing driver, who last competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Mercedes-AMG Team Mücke Motorsport. Dienst won the Formula BMW Talent Cup in 2012 and the ADAC Formula 4 championship in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert de Haan</span> Dutch racing driver (born 2006)

Robert de Haan is a Dutch racing driver currently competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup with Lechner Racing and Team 75 Bernhard. He made his racing debut in the 2021 Ginetta Junior Championship after winning the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, and he also won the 2021 FEED Racing France Shootout. Robert de Haan won the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux 2024

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Pittard</span> British racing driver

David Graeme Pittard is a British racing driver who competes in the Nürburgring Endurance Series and IMSA SportsCar Championship. He was part of the Frikadelli Racing Team entry which won the 2023 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Hesse</span> German racing driver (born 2001)

Max Hesse is a German racing driver driving for ROWE Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. The German has been part of the BMW M Motorsport works driver staple since 2023.

References

  1. Gray, Andy (1 January 2023). "Dan Harper: Factory BMW deal a 'dream' for Northern Ireland driver". BBC Sport . Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  2. Craig, Jason (23 March 2024). "Dan Harper: I can't wait for another year of battling in biggest races with BMW". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  3. Paice, Simon. "Dan Harper Wins Ginetta Junior Scholarship For 2016". The Checkered Flag.
  4. Paice, Simon. "Rookie Champion Harper: It's Been An Incredible Season". The Checkered Flag.
  5. Pettit, Vince. "Daniel Harper Announced As Porsche GB 2018/19 Junior". The Checkered Flag.
  6. Paice, Simon. "Daniel Harper Wins 2019 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Title". Next Level Motorsport.
  7. Gray, Andy. "Dan Harper: NI Teenager Leads BMW's Junior Team Return". BBC Sport .
  8. BRDC. "BRDC Superstars Announce Class Of 2020". BRDC.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Champion

2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by British GT Championship
Champion

2023
With: Darren Leung
Succeeded by
Preceded by British GT Championship
Pro-Am Champion

2023
With: Darren Leung
Succeeded by
Preceded by GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup
Bronze Cup Champion

2024
With: Darren Leung
Succeeded by
Incumbent