Porsche Junior Driver Dan Harper believes the Ginetta Junior championship was essential to his motorsport career.
After two years racing in the Ginetta category, Harper won one of the biggest scholarships in British motorsport and was announced as the Porsche GB Junior driver.
In the role, Harper will be an ambassador for the manufacturer, running at events such as the Festival o Speed and competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.
But he believes he wouldn’t have gotten to this point without Ginetta.
“Ginetta is such a good proving ground for young drivers,” he told The Checkered Flag.
“I loved my two years with Ginetta and I think, without it and without winning the scholarship, I wouldn’t have been there for starters. So without Ginetta I probably wouldn’t be where I am so I have to say a massive thanks to them.
“Ginettas, for every driver, are so good for learning. The cars are very difficult to drive, they’re very unique so you learn a lot in them.
“Obviously the racing’s so close as well so you learn a lot of stuff in that as well. They really are great cars and a great championship.”
Running with Douglas Motorsport, Harper claimed the rookie title in 2016 before fighting for the overall championship in ’17. He finished third overall with seven victories.
Harper is yet to confirm who he’ll run with this season, but hopes to continue the success in the new category.
“I’ve still got to pick the team I’ll run with,” he said at Autosport International earlier this month.
“My dad’s here at the show so we’ve had a few meetings with different team managers, sponsors, and stuff like that so we’re still tying a few things up, but it’s all looking promising.
“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we’ll have the team sorted and then we can start practicing and get everything sorted for the first race.”
The 2018 Porsche Carrera Cup GB season will start in April, running as part of the TOCA support package in all but one of its eight rounds.