Dan Harper

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 is the reigning British GT champion.[1][2]

Dan Harper
Harper in 2017
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Born (2000-12-08) 8 December 2000 (age 23)
Hillsborough, Northern Ireland
British GT Championship career
Debut season2023
Racing licence FIA Platinum
Car number91
Former teamsCentury Motorsport
Starts13
Wins2
Podiums4
Poles0
Fastest laps2
Best finish1st in 2023
Previous series
2016–17Ginetta Junior Championship
Championship titles
2023
2023
2019
British GT Championship
British GT Championship - Pro-Am
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
Awards
2023
2020–22
2018–19
2016
2016
BMW Factory Driver
BMW Junior Team
Porsche GB Junior
Ginetta Junior Rookie Champion
Ginetta Junior Scholar

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 is contesting a dual programme in the GT World Challenge Europe; entering the Endurance Cup with ROWE Racing and the Sprint Cup with Century Motorsport. He will also race with Century in British GT Championship as he defends his title alongside Michael Johnston, as well as enter the ADAC TOTAL 24 Hours of Nürburgring again with BMW Team RMG.

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
2016Ginetta Junior ChampionshipDouglas Motorsport2520373905th
2017Ginetta Junior ChampionshipDouglas Motorsport26766156253rd
2018Porsche Carrera Cup Great BritainJTR162376845th
2019Porsche Carrera Cup Great BritainJTR168611131591st
Porsche Supercup100000NC†
202024 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8TWalkenhorst Motorsport11101N/A1st
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8TFK Performance Motorsport3000111.254th
2021Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 ProBMW Junior Team7200439.222nd
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9BMW Junior Team Shell10000N/ADNF
2022GT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupBMW Junior Team with ROWE Racing500003611th
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 ProBMW Junior Team200010NC†
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9BMW Junior Team Shell10000N/ADNF
2023GT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupROWE Racing500013310th
GT Winter SeriesSchubert Motorsport211113310th
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 ProBMW Junior Team20001**
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910000N/ADNF
British GT Championship - GT3Century Motorsport920241761st
GT Cup Championship - Group GT3211120NC†
2023-24Asian Le Mans Series - GTProject 1500001121st
2024GT World Challenge Europe Endurance CupROWE Racing
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint CupCentury Motorsport200000NC*
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup - Bronze Cup2000119.53rd*
British GT Championship - GT34000014*10th*
Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP9BMW M Team RMG
Intercontinental GT Challenge
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP910001N/A3rd

* Season still in progress.

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain results

YearTeam12345678910111213141516Pos.Points
2018JTRBRH
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
2019JTRBRH
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
2022ROWE RacingBMW M4 GT3ProIMO
15
LEC
4
SPA
6H

11
SPA
12H

2
SPA
24H

5
HOC
9
CAT
13
11th36
2023ROWE RacingBMW M4 GT3ProMNZ
2
LEC
6
SPA
6H

4
SPA
12H

53
SPA
24H

Ret
NÜR
11
CAT
12
10th33
2024ROWE RacingBMW M4 GT3ProLEC
1
SPA
6H

SPA
12H

SPA
24H

NÜR
MNZ
JED
1st*25*

Complete British GT Championship results

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

YearTeamCarClass123456789DCPoints
2023Century MotorsportBMW M4 GT3GT3OUL
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
2024Century MotorsportBMW M4 GT3GT3OUL
1

9
OUL
2

14
SIL
1

17
DON
1

6
SPA
1

SNE
1

SNE
2

DON
1

BRH
1

10th*14*

* Season still in progress.

Complete Asian Le Mans Series results

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

YearTeamClassCarEngine12345Pos.Points
2023–24Team Project 1GTBMW M4 GT3BMW S58B30T0 3.0 L Turbo I6SEP
1

18
SEP
2

10
DUB
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
2024Century MotorsportBMW M4 GT3BronzeBRH
1
BRH
2
MIS
1

17
MIS
2

20
HOC
1

HOC
2

MAG
1

MAG
2

CAT
1

CAT
2

3rd*19.5*

* Season still in progress.

Awards

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

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Champion

2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by British GT Championship
Champion

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

2023
With: Darren Leung
Succeeded by
Incumbent