Harri Jones Explained

Harri Jones
Nationality: Australian
Birth Date:1999 6, df=yes
Birth Place:Buderim, Queensland, Australia
Current Series:Porsche Supercup
First Year:2023
Current Team:BWT Lechner Racing

Harrison Edward "Harri" Jones (born 2 June 1999) is an Australian racing driver and the reigning Australian Carrera Cup Champion. He is a current driver for twelve-time Porsche Supercup Teams Champion BWT Lechner Racing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup,[1] and Scherer Sport PHX in the Porsche Carerra Cup Germany.[2]

Personal life

Harri was born and grew up on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. He attended school at Immanuel Lutheran College,[3] where he met his fiancé Emily Outridge. He is currently studying a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Queensland. He is the first motorsport athlete at the university to be awarded the UQ Blue award,[4] which recognises outstanding sporting achievements. Harri is also a Driver Development Coach in Australian Motorsport.[5]

Prior to race car driving, Harri grew up racing downhill mountain bikes. He considers his best result to be 3rd place in the Oceania Downhill Mountain Bike Championship.[6]

Career

Formula racing

Harri’s car racing career began in 2015 with the Queensland Formula Ford Championship. From 2016 to 2018 he also competed in the Australian Formula Ford Championship.[7]

In late 2017 he joined the final round of the Australian Formula 3 Premier Series and took his first race win in the final race of the season.[8] The following year he joined the series full-time and crowned himself the 2018 Australian Formula 3 Premier Series champion. The car was run as a family team under Jones Motorsport.

Harri competed in the 2017–18 MRF Challenge Formula 2000 Championship, taking place in India and Middle-East. He finished the season in 7th overall.[9]

Sports car racing

Bathurst 12 hour

At the start of 2017 Harri made his sports car racing debut in the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour. It was also his first time racing at the Mount Panorama Circuit. Together with his teammates Max Braams, Nicolaj Møller Madsen and Jörg Viebahn he won in the GT4 Category for PROsport Performance.[10]

Australian Porsche Sprint Challenge

In 2019, Harri joined forces with McElrea Racing to campaign in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia. It was his first full season of ‘tin top’ racing. He took the lead of the championship after a win in the second round at Sydney Motorsport Park. At the end of the year, he won the championship with a gap of 38 points.[11]

Australian Porsche Carerra Cup

In preparation for a full-time drive in 2020, Harri raced on the streets of Surfers Paradise for the last round of the 2019 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia. It was his first race on a street circuit. After a retiring in race 1, he managed to finish the final race in ninth position.

COVID-19 put a pause on racing for the majority of 2020. Once racing recommenced in December 2020, Harri took pole and won the race at Sandown.[12]

Harri competed in the championship again in 2021. It was his third year racing under the McElrea Racing banner. He finished the season in third. Harri had his first win of the season at Bathurst in the final round of the season, seeing him come away with 5 podiums, 1 race win and 2 pole positions for the year.

In the 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia the new Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup was introduced. After the eighth and final round of the Championship, Harri claimed the 2022 title.[13]

Racing record

Career summary

SeasonSeriesTeamRacesWinsPolesFLapsPodiumsPointsPosition
2015Queensland Formula Ford ChampionshipJones Sport Performance600011196th
2016Queensland Formula Ford 1600 SeriesGreg Fahey Motorsport110017978th
Queensland Formula Ford Championship600131109th
Australian Formula Ford ChampionshipJones Motorsport900007011th
2017Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour - Class CPROsport Performance11001N/A1st
Intercontinental GT Challenge100000NC
Australian Formula Ford ChampionshipJones Motorsport1700001288th
Victorian Formula Ford Fiesta Championship6000010015th
Australian Formula 3 Premier SeriesJones Racing31002355th
2017–18MRF Challenge Formula 2000 ChampionshipMRF Racing160000667th
2018Australian Formula 3 Premier SeriesJones Racing181136182431st
Australian Formula Ford Series30000128th
Australian GT Trophy Series - GT4Ginetta Australia100001412th
T124 Italian Challenge44144807th
V de V Endurance Series - LMP3Monza Garage100000NC
2019Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge AustraliaMcElrea Racing18321159241st
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia300003829th
2020The Bend Super Tin Tops – Super CupMcElrea Racing331331501st
Townsville Tin Tops – Super Stuttgart331331501st
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia711036110th
Phillip Island Classic Groups Q & R Sports & InvitedJones Motorsport55155N/A1st
2021Porsche Carrera Cup AustraliaMcElrea Racing1312055343rd
2022Porsche Carrera Cup AustraliaMcElrea Racing24400107641st
2022–23Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle EastBWT Junior Racing6222517910th
2023Porsche SupercupBWT Lechner Racing80000639th
Porsche Carrera Cup GermanyScherer Sport PHX1600007512th
Porsche Carrera Cup AustraliaJones Motorsport5013320519th
2023–24Porsche Carrera Cup Middle EastJones Motorsport200002215th

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Germany results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Porsche Supercup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Notes and References

  1. News: . 23 February 2023 . JONES MOVES TO PINNACLE OF PORSCHE FOR 2023 . Motorsport Australia . Australia . 13 April 2023 . Web site: Harri Jones signs with BWT Lechner Racing for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Harri Jones | Racing Driver. 23 January 2023 .
  2. Web site: JONES ADDS GERMANY TO EUROPEAN SEASON DEBUT Auto Action . 2023-04-15 . autoaction.com.au.
  3. News: . 19 November 2016 . Forget schoolies, Harri Jones is off to drive race cars . The Courier Mail . Australia . 13 April 2023.
  4. News: Jamie Mitchell . 4 November 2019 . Student-athletes join UQ Blues honour roll . UQ News . Australia . 13 April 2023.
  5. Web site: HARRI JONES GEARS UP FOR HIS NEXT CHALLENGE . . . MACKELLAR GROUP . 13 April 2023 . and a Driver Development Coach for various racing divisions within Australian Motorsport..
  6. News: . 4 December 2018 . Harri Jones: Our Australian Formula Three Champion . Kingsman The Kings College . Australia . 13 April 2023.
  7. Web site: Harri Jones | Racing career profile | Driver Database . www.driverdb.com.
  8. Web site: Wood . Ida . 2018-12-21 . 2018 International F3 season review . 2023-03-24 . Formula Scout . en-US.
  9. Web site: MRF Challenge Formula 2000 2018 standings | Driver Database . www.driverdb.com.
  10. Web site: Harri's Pathway . Harri Jones | Racing Driver. News: Michael Jones. . The Fast And The Studious . UQ Stories . Australia . 13 April 2023.
  11. Web site: The history of Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge in Australia. Angus. Thompson. 12 October 2021. Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia | 2022.
  12. Web site: JONES TAKES PORSCHE CUP AT SANDOWN . Auto Action.
  13. Web site: Jones crowned Carrera Cup Champion. Motorsport Australia.