Tomas Harper Racing

Race Report

Donington Park – Fiesta Junior Championship Rd 4 17-19th July

An absolute pleasure to have completed Tomas’s first race weekend – even if things didn’t go his way.

Friday practise pace was more competitive than expected for a debut. Carrying lots of speed through the corners and making real gains in the braking zone.

Qualifying session started and Tomas first flying lap was well inside the top 10 before a red flag and session halted briefly. On the restart, getting caught out by tyres having cooled more than expected in the pitlane, he made a mistake losing the rear in the long, fast Coppice corner which ended his qualifying. All other drivers improved as tyres came alive leaving Tomas P28 of 29 starters.

Race One – Good start making a few places but a car ahead spinning at turn 3 required avoiding action across the gravel and Tomas dropped a long way from the back of the field. Fortunately, a safety car allowed him to catch up the pack with just a few laps remaining, and a few more overtakes. P23 finish.

Race Two – sheer inexperience parking on the grid spot without a view of the start light gantry! Lost a mass of places but made some back on the first lap, before being involved in a huge pile up at the esses which badly damaged our car and many others. DNF.

Summary: The qualifying error compromised the weekend and put him in harms way, but confirmed to us that we are in the right place with a hugely supportive and experienced team who ensured that the qualifying damage (broken engine and rear body damage) wouldn’t stop us from being out for the race.

With the car now fully repaired, we move on to Brands Hatch in a couple of weeks time.

Auto Reserve Parts
20Ten Racing
RatMally Graphics
BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship

It's race week!!

From stepping into a race car for the first time last summer at Blyton Park, to gaining the Motorsport UK competition license, and to putting in countless hours of practise both on the simulator and on the track, we can finally say it's time to see what we can do!

The car, built by Auto Reserve and Mark One Motorsport, is fully tested, fast and ready for its first event.

We head for Donington Park for testing on Friday, followed by Qualifying and Race One on Saturday. Race Two on Sunday.

20Ten Racing
Auto Reserve Parts
Mark One Motorsport
RatMally Graphics
BRSCC
BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship

Croft Circuit - track day

A last chance to get some seat time in before the Donington race weekend - but definitely not the "Before and After" pictures we wanted!

The good old £700 Fiesta Zetec S that the guys at Auto Reserve fitted with a SW roll cage for seat time for Tomas (and secretly a bit of fun for them) last year has now had a few extra mods made to ensure it handles and drives exactly like the purpose built Junior race car - AST Suspension, Racesport exhaust system.

Croft is ideal being such a difficult and technical circuit. No point chasing laptimes here as we won't be racing it on the 2026 calendar, so chose to build experience by making the car more tricky to drive by lifting the rear suspension and learn how to control an unusually lively back end into the corners.

All going well until, inevitably, the last session of the day when we changed on to grippier Dunlop tyres. Right on the limit the back end broke away on entry to the Complex and into the barrier at 70mph.

First proper mistake since starting out in cars, and glad that it wasn't the race car. This car will go again, the damage looks worse than it really is but is going to need a new rear quarter 🤕

Sorry RatMally Graphics for ruining the graphics kit you supplied a few days ago!

Tomas is very honored to have found an article in a recent Motorsport News mentioning his upcoming debut race at Donington!

He was slightly concerned that the title was a bit too flattering for his Dad (grand total of two race wins in own championship years ago, each time benefitting from lots of other drivers suffering mechanical failures...).

So we have changed it to be a little more accurate and appropriate.

Tomas 14th Birthday means one thing to him - the long-awaited arrival of the Race License from Motorsport UK!

After a birthday meal (at favourite Anoki), the following day was an opportunity to take part in an open-pitlane track day at Donington Park and begin knocking up some real seat time in the Fiesta Junior.

Alot of catching up to do after waiting for what felt like a lifetime of waiting for MSUK to release the license but he is now ready to begin the Saloon car transition.

Looking forward to the debut race at Donington on 18th July. We will try to squeeze in a little more seat time if we can.

20Ten Racing
Auto Reserve Parts
BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship
RatMally Graphics

The sun is shining and it's time to learn a new, very special circuit!

Brands Hatch
20Ten Racing
Auto Reserve Parts

Some pics from Monday testing at Anglesey International Circuit.

As this was Tomas first time venturing on a test day without his Dad present I asked him to get lots of pictures of the day for his page. He presented me with a grand total of three:

1. The house on Red Weir Island – almost fully obscured by road barrier
2. Hundreds of wind turbines – out of focus
3. The A*5

Thanks Lewis for helping us out with pictures of the team Junior drivers and cars all together.

Other than forgetting to bring race boots, sleeping through his alarm in the hotel (and then leaving his coat at the hotel) it was a successful day of testing.

Plenty of seat time – most of which was on own without passenger/instruction – and lots of useful experience gained at a circuit where tyre wear is very high and it can be difficult to manage the tyres themselves. No serious mishaps or damage, and good speed being carried through the tricky corkscrew and other sections.

Thank you to:
20Ten Racing
Auto Reserve Parts
RatMally Graphics

And The Bull Hotel in Holyhead for kindly posting the coat back to Derby...