Dan Harper Completes Maiden Asian Le Mans Season In Abu Dhabi

BMW M Motorsport works driver Dan Harper concluded his debut campaign in the Asian Le Mans Series with a hard-fought top ten finish during the season finale in Abu Dhabi this past weekend (09-11 February).

Returning the Yas Marina Circuit, which he last competed on in the Gulf 12 Hours back in 2022, Harper was determined to end the ALMS season on a high note alongside Darren Leung and Christian Bogle in the Project 1-prepared BMW M4 GT3. The Northern Irishman got reacquainted with the circuit during pre-event testing and a pair of free practice sessions, as the #93 crew prepared for a pair of four-hour races over the weekend. Leung was in control for qualifying and he secured 14th on the GT grid for the opening race.

Leung made a stunning start to the race as he shot up to eighth place on the first lap. He stuck right in the battle for the top six through to the halfway mark, before Bogle maintained the challenge until his stint was halted by a red flag stoppage for barrier repairs. By the time the action resumed there was less than 30 minutes left on the clock, forcing an immediate pitstop to get Harper in the car. The 23-year-old talent got stuck into an exciting three-way battle in the closing stages, eventually taking the chequered flag in eighth position.

From 20th on the grid, Leung avoided a chaotic opening lap to race two to move up to 14th straight away. By the half hour mark he was into the top ten, however soon after the race was stopped by a red flag again for barrier repairs that lasted over an hour. Jumping straight into the pitlane when the race restarted to hand over to Bogle, the American racer kept them in touching distance of the top ten before the final pitstop. Harper emerged in 15th place and put in a consistent run to bring the car home in 11th.

Daniel Harper: “Ultimately this was probably our strongest weekend overall in terms of our pace and race performance. Darren did a great job in qualifying and then started the races incredibly well to fly up the order and put us in contention for top six finishes in both. Unfortunately, it was quite a strange weekend of racing with both races being hit by red flag stoppages, and on both occasions it impacted on our strategy. In the first race I ended up running on old tyres so was having to hang on to position, while progress was tough in race two. While we didn’t end with the results we wanted, I have really enjoyed my first Asian Le Mans Series campaign. It was great to working with Darren, Christian and Project 1, while it was a good experience learning some new circuits. Hopefully I can come back and do this championship again in the future.”