In advance of this British GT season observers, not for nothing, likened the prospect to the heady days of mid-1990s Super Touring in the British Touring Car Championship.
Just like then, it appeared an effective world contest that just so happened to operate from Britain. There were no fewer than eight factory drivers in the GT3 lineup, including some of the best GT pilots around anywhere. Yet a 22-year-old from Northern Ireland outshone them all.
Dan Harper won 2019’s Porsche Carrera Cup GB title, and in the years since has perhaps not been so front of mind to UK fans, as he plied his trade in continental Europe. His exploits there led to him at the turn of the year becoming a BMW works driver. And during 2023 Harper in the Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 took the status of British GT’s fastest driver and most spectacular overtaker. In a thrilling finale it led to him snatching the championship.
And he was admirably backed throughout by his Am driver partner Darren Leung. Leung’s title-winning presence was even less likely than Harper’s as he’d only started out in 2021, in entry level Ginetta
