Motorsport UK Academy graduate Dan Harper continues to establish himself as one of sportscar racing’s most exciting young talents. The 25-year-old Northern Irishman made a sensational debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), claiming a stirring victory in the fiercely competitive LMGT3 class at Imola.
Teaming up with Canadian Parker Thompson and American Anthony McIntosh, Harper underlined his growing reputation by guiding his BMW M4 GT3 EVO to victory after six demanding hours of racing in his first-ever WEC appearance.
“I had a good feeling that we could achieve podium finishes and eventually a victory, but for it to happen in the very first race is incredible,” he enthused. “Anthony put us on course for the podium with his opening stints. After that, it was a tough battle against extremely strong competition.”
The Imola triumph marked Harper’s second major success of the season, following his earlier GTD-PRO category victory in a similar M4 GT3 at the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona.
Remarkably, despite his young age, this is already Harper’s seventh season as a BMW factory driver. Having begun competing at just six years old, he became a multiple champion in both quad bikes and karting before switching to junior rallying, where he also achieved notable results.
His transition to circuit racing was accelerated by securing two major scholarships – first from Ginetta and then from Porsche GB. Race wins in the Ginetta Junior Championship were followed by a sensational title-winning campaign in the 2019 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, confirming his standout talent and catching BMW’s attention.
In 2023, Harper teamed up with Darren Leung to win the British GT Championship in a BMW M4 GT3. Since then, he has continued to impress on the international stage, notably with victory in the 2025 Dubai 24 Hour and class wins at Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans in the IMSA SportsCar Championship. These achievements helped secure him the Michelin Endurance Cup title.
Further highlighting the UK’s strength in endurance racing, three other British drivers joined Harper on the podium at Imola. Driving a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Jonny Edgar finished a close second in the LMGT3 class, while James Calado and Mike Conway were among the crews finishing second and third for Ferrari and Toyota in the leading Hypercar category.
Calado is the reigning FIA World Endurance Championship champion and, like Harper, an alumnus of the Motorsport UK Academy – the performance pathway designed to help the UK’s most talented young drivers unlock their full potential. Furthermore, Edgar is one of 11 drivers selected for the 2026 Motorsport UK Academy High Performance Athletes programme.
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