1996: Started competing in Junior Dragster Competition - among the first Generation of Australian Junior Dragster Drivers
1996/1997: Finished 3rd in the Queensland State Championship Series for Junior Dragster
1997/1998: Finished 4th in the Queensland State Championship Series for Junior Dragster
1998: Australian Junior Dragster Championships:
I was a member of the organizing and fundraising committee for the Junior Dragster Championship event, which was fun to be involved in building momentum and attendance for the competition. It was a great feeling to help get the event back off the ground and give the opportunity for many supporting families of the sport to participate. I also won the Australia Vs New Zealand Bracket at the event and to this day it is still the tallest trophy in our collection!
1999: Retired from Junior Dragster Competition to study photography
2002: With Kate, I gathered corporate support to help fund the costs for competing the Modified Dragster. We successfully completed the project in October the same year and I gained my ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association) Competition License.
April 2007: Attended Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School Top Alcohol Dragster Class in Gainesville Florida
May 2007: Completed Top Alcohol Dragster License behind the wheel of the Tom Conway/Kate Harker Skull Shine A/Fuel Dragster in Rusk Texas with a 5.52et at 254mph pass
May 2007: Signed with R2B2 Motors and Roger Burgess ProCare RX to drive the teams '69 Camaro in the NHRA Pro Mod Exhibition Class
In addition to racing, Diana is very proud of her accomplishments as a professional photographer, opening her own studio and winning Silver and Bronze medals for her work entered into the 2002 Queensland State Photography Awards, and a Silver in the 2003 Australian Photography Awards - Sydney.
Both girls ran competitive 2007/2008 schedules behind the wheels and crewing for Harker Motorspors. Their first time competing against one another was in Oklahoma 2007. They were the first tea
m of sisters to compete, vaporizing the Force family’s opportunity to hold that record.
Diana: It was very exciting and a bit nerve-wracking, being as competitive as we are. It’s a privilege to hold the record as the first sisters to compete against one another, so no matter who won the race, we were happy to be in the record books. At the end of the day we both won! Kate actually won the race but I got the Hole Shot and the photo to prove it, so we both enjoyed the results!
June 2008, Diana made history at the Lucas Oil Super Nationals in Englishtown, NJ, by claiming her first NHRA National Event win in the Top Alcohol Dragster Class and by doing so became the first Australian Female to win an NHRA National Event.
Kate and Diana are preparing for an exciting 2009 season with a new car they will begin testing in May. The girls will flip a coin to determine who is first to be behind the wheel!
Kate’s business savvy intellect grasps the importance of the business aspect of the sport and the value they must provide to sponsors. Her strong business acumen recognizes the responsibility they share representing their sport, their sponsors and their team. She is as confident behind the corporate desk overseeing the business aspects of running a successful team as she is competent behind the wheel of her 275mph dragster.
The majority of the twins’ time is spent off-track in the business-end of the sport: marketing, negotiating with sponsors, speaking engagements and special appearances. They take their responsibilities as role models seriously and enjoy the opportunity to inspire others to “dream big” and pursue their ambitions.
The twins are champions on the dragway as well as in their communities. Working with ProStock Motorcyle Peggy Llewelyn, and Top Dragster/Super Comp car Tina Stull, Kate and Diana are actively involved in the efforts to Support our Troops with free race tickets for soldiers, Military Ministry and “Say Thanks to a Soldier” program.
Kate and Diana both serve on an all volunteer board with others in the motorsports and entertainment industry to raise funds and awareness in the fight against breast cancer. Their focus on early detection will reduce the dreadful statistic of one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer today.
When asked what they do for fun, they both respond enthusiastically:
Wakeboarding, Clay Target Shooting, Motocross, Fitness, and following the Australian Football League ...
Aussie Rules Football!
Be sure to look for these Awesome Aussie Twins on the race tracks and in the record books.
Happy 26th Birthday, Kate and Diana Harker . . . IMPRESSIVE, INSPIRING, EXTRAORDINARY!
muscle their competitive drive behind the wheel of a 275 mph category Top Alcohol Dragster!
