Dan Harper
Daniel Harper is a racing driver from Northern Ireland. He is currently competing as a BMW Motorsport works driver and was the 2023 British GT champion.
Career
Harper started his racing career aged six, 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 and with it a fully-funded season in the Ginetta Junior Championship for 2016.
In his maiden campaign with Douglas Motorsport, Harper took two outright race victories and won the Rookie Cup title. 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. In his first year, he won two races and posted more pole positions and fastest laps than any other driver.
In 2019, Harper won the drivers’ title and finished the season with the most wins, pole positions and fastest laps.
For 2020/21, Harper was signed by BMW Motorsport to compete as part of their BMW Junior Team. 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 their third race. A step up to a BMW M4 GT4 soon after yielded a class podium in their first race and a 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 BMW Team RMG. They achieved 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 2022 [GT World Challenge Europe|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 Championship|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.
2025 marked Harper's sixth season with BMW. He took his inaugural 24-hour race victory in the 2025 Dubai 24 Hour alongside Max Hesse, Darren Leung, Ben Tuck and Al Faisal Al Zubair at Al Manar Racing by Team WRT.
Harper contested a first campaign in the 2025 [IMSA SportsCar Championship|IMSA SportsCar Championship] alongside Hesse at Paul Miller Racing. They took GTD PRO class victories at Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans en-route to being crowned the 2025 Michelin Endurance Cup champions.
Harper was also a race-winner on a one-off British GT return at Silverstone alongside Leung, with whom he also contested selected rounds of the GT World Challenge Europe. He teamed with ROWE Racing for his fourth attempt at the 24 Hours of Spa and joined the Intercontinental GT Challenge grid at Suzuka.
Harper is a full member of the British Racing Drivers' Club. He was previously part of the BRDC SuperStars programme and Motorsport UK Academy's Team UK programme.
Racing record
Career summary
Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain results
Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results
Complete British GT Championship results
Complete Asian Le Mans Series results
Complete GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup results
Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Rank | Points |
| 2025 | Paul Miller Racing | GTD Pro | BMW M4 GT3 Evo | BMW P58 3.0 L Twin Turbo I6 | DAY 12 | 2025 [12 Hours of Sebring|SEB] 2 | LGA 5 | 2025 Chevrolet [Detroit Sports Car Classic|DET] 7 | WGL 1 | MOS 9 | ELK 7 | VIR 10 | IMS 3 | PET 1 | 4th | 2984 |
| 2026 | Paul Miller Racing | GTD Pro | BMW M4 GT3 Evo | BMW P58 3.0 L Twin Turbo I6 | DAY 1 | SEB | LGA | DET | WGL | MOS | ELK | VIR | IMS | PET | 1st* | 366* |
* Season still in progress.
Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
| 2019 | Belfast Telegraph Sports Awards | Young Player Of The Year | Won |
| 2019 | Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs Awards | ANICC Northern Ireland Motorsport Award | Won |
| 2019 | British Racing Drivers' Club Awards | The Henry Surtees Award | Won |
| 2019 | Autosport Awards | National Racing Driver of the Year | Nominated |
| 2023 | Motorsport News Awards | National Racing Driver of the Year | Nominated |
| 2023 | Autosport Awards | National Racing Driver of the Year | Nominated |
| 2023 | British GT Championship | Allan Simonsen Award | Won |