From the second he first drove a quad bike at 5 years of age, Dan Harper might by no means have imagined the place he would find yourself in motorsport.
It is a journey that has taken him to a number of the most well-known race tracks on this planet as a BMW manufacturing facility driver, the place motorsport is his job and his life.
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In 2026 alone he has raced, and crushed, Max Verstappen, been team-mates to his racing idol Valentino Rossi, gained one of many greatest endurance races on this planet and is about to make his debut at one other – the enduring Le Mans 24 Hours.
“It’s what I wanted to do from a kid, so to make it happen and to see all the hard work paying off, it’s all a dream,” mentioned the 25-year-old.
“I didn’t really have much interest in school and my dad obviously seen a bit of talent there.
“It’s very particular now trying again in any respect these reminiscences, seeing now the place I’m and hopefully what’s going to come sooner or later.”
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Verstappen ‘just a normal person’
While GT racing is Harper’s profession, the endurance racing world got more attention than usual when Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 world champion, made waves in the class earlier this year.
Verstappen’s venture into endurance racing drew a lot of interest at the Nurburgring, one of the most fearsome circuits in motorsport.
For Harper, who comes from Northern Ireland, he didn’t believe the rumours of Verstappen’s foray into GT Racing at first.
“I assumed it wasn’t going to occur,” Harper said.
“The nearer it got here and then it was introduced, I knew it was going to be actually particular.”
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Before the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Verstappen had to compete in NLS races, shorter in length, to be granted a permit to drive in the main event.
In NLS2, Verstappen and his team-mates Dani Jundicella and Jules Gounon dominated the race. On that occassion, Harper and Jordan Pepper were second and they got to share a podium together.
But Verstappen’s car was later disqualified for a technical infringement and Harper ans Pepper were handed the win.
Then, a mechanical issue forced Verstappen’s car out of winning contention at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, while Harper, and finished just off the poidum in fourth place.
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So, despite the pace and relentless drive, Harper has yet to officialy be beaten on track by the four-time world champion.
“I’ve to say it was one of many coolest podiums I’ve been on,” Harper said on his NLS2 experience.
“Even simply getting an opportunity to talk to him after the race within the Parc Ferme, we have been speaking about how he is discovering GT racing and being concerned in one thing utterly totally different than what he is usually doing daily.
“It’s a bit like working with Valentino, they’re so famous but they’re just normal people and you could tell he was just so happy to be there and so motivated to do well, and that’s what I thought was really cool.”
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From hero to team-mate
When he was rising up Harper was obsessive about watching motorsport. After watching MotoGP, his idol shortly grew to become seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi – one of the crucial well-known riders in motorbike racing historical past.
After Rossi retired from MotoGP in 2018, he turned his focus to automobiles and made his first steps in GT racing.
Now, within the GT World Challenge, Harper is now a team-mate to the Italian in a BMW than runs the well-known Rossi #46.
“For my mum, my dad, my granddad, we all watched Valentino on the TV.
“Our complete household was considerably inquisitive about him – particularly me.
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“My first race number was 46 and my dog was called Rossi, so to now race with him is very surreal.”
Harper mentioned he’s “still so motivated to do well” and the connection with the Italian works each methods.
(*24*)It’s a cool problem for me and additionally Max- [Hesse, the third driver in the team] to educate him up in a approach and in qualifying at Monza, he was as fast as us.
“It’s just a special opportunity to be close to him, work together and maybe learn a few things from him too.”
‘The competition of motorsport’
Harper (driving the BMW, left) received his first style of Le Mans within the opening apply session on Sunday [Getty Images]
Now, for the primary time, Harper heads to Le Mans – the king of endurance racing.
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Every yr the quaint French city comes alive with a competition of motorsport, which accumulates in a 24 Hour race alongside a observe that’s blended with roads round Le mans and a objective constructed race observe.
Harper received his first motion across the Circuit de la Sarthe in Sunday’s opening apply, and the principle occasion takes place from 13-14 June.
He has had a stellar yr up to now. He gained the Daytona 24 Hours – the most important endurance race in America- and gained on his debut within the World Endurance Championship at Imola.
But if he might win a trophy at Le Mans it would high the lot. In his phrases, “this is the big one that has been missing”.
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“It’s the biggest motorsport event in the world. When you think of motorsport, you think of Formula One or Le Mans 24-hour.
“To simply have the chance to even drive on the streets in Le Mans, the chance to probably win a 24-hour Le Mans not everybody will get that chance so it is advisable take it with each arms.”
Harper isn’t afraid to admit he’s had dreams about winning at Le Mans and standing on top of the iconic podium.
“To be sincere, if we’ve an excellent race and carry out to what our potential is then we’ve a very good shot.”
“I’ve had desires about it and I’ve had desires about many outcomes going your approach, however you by no means know what can occur. It could possibly be the identical in Le Mans. You go there, you do a full week or a full yr actually of preparation and while you get to the beginning line you do not even know if the automobile goes to start out.
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“It’s one of those things you just have to do your best, put all the work you can into that result. and then everything needs to fall into place.”