In the final part of our five-part series looking at the 2018/2019 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior Scholarship shootout, we take a look at Daniel Harper, the sixteen year old from Hillsborough, Northern Ireland.
Harper starting racing aged six and took part in both quad bike racing and karting, taking multiple championship along the way before entering Junior rallying in 2015, where he took three wins in the Ireland Junior 1000 Rally Challenge.
In 2016 Harper entered, and then beat sixty other drivers to win the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, entering the championship with Douglas Motorsport. He was fast from the start and in only his second weekend in the series, took his maiden outright win as part of a podium hat-trick at Donington Park. Another victory and four more podiums would see him pick up the 2016 Rookie Cup title.
This year saw him return to Ginetta Juniors with Douglas motor sport once again, finishing third in the final standings with fifteen podiums and seven wins, along with being a serious contender for the championship.
Credit: Porsche GB
Speaking about the prize on offer from Porsche, the young driver is aware of how big the potential opportunity is, “The prize is huge, it’s one of the biggest prizes, probably in UK motor sport, so to be in the final five and have the privilege is massive.” said Harper. “A big thank you has to go out to Porsche to give me this opportunity.”
“The prize is two years in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB that supports the British Touring Car Championship, it’s on the TOCA package so it’s a massive scene, of course being part of Porsche family getting support from Porsche it’s a one in a million chance.”
Being part of the Porsche family is definitely something that can make a career, look at the likes of Nick Tandy who worked his way through from Porsche Carrera Cup GB to become FIA World Endurance Champion with Porsche.
Credit: Porsche GB
“There’s a massive opportunity to be part of Porsche family, to be climbing up through the Porsche pyramid, it’s a dream for any professional young driver. So to be in this final five shoot even if I don’t win, hopefully I’ll get the luck and I’ll have the opportunity.”
Looking back at what he has achieved so far in his young motor sport career, Harper knows he is on the right track, “Since a very young age and never thought or dreamt about been this far up already, it sort of all just came together in the last few years for me.
“When I won the Ginetta scholarship, I never thought I’d have a chance even in that, I just entered for the experience, and from there and sort of just kept carrying on, the same sort of idea, sponsors coming together for me and it’s just all starting to fall into place and hopefully this is another piece of the jigsaw.”
