MOTORSPORTS
A DRIVING FORCE.
Alec Issigonis built a practical car, a car for everyone. So, it came as quite the surprise when John Cooper, auto racing legend, saw the MINI for something the world had yet to consider - a rally demon. After a few minor tweaks, the MINI Cooper 997 hit the tracks, and the rest was history.
MINI’s racing legacy dates back to 1964 and includes memorable victories at the Netherlands Tulip Rally, a historic win led by female auto racing legend Pat Moss, and the Monte Carlo. Today, the MINI JCW Race Team continues to honor our racing heritage on the track and on the podium. During the 2023 racing season, TEAM JCW was named Crew of the Year.
PRIVATEERS
DRIVE IT LIKE A PRO.
Motorsports prowess. It’s earned on the racetrack, but it’s learned at the MINI Performance Driving School, where professional instructors teach participants to unleash a MINI’s racing soul in Spartanburg, SC or Thermal, CA.
PRO TEAMS
TEAM JCW
The MINI JCW RACE TEAM competed at 7 tracks across the US chasing John Cooper’s legacy in 2024. With 30 podium finishes, 11 wins, and multiple championship titles, this year will be remembered as one of the team's finest performances. The season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw the MINI JCW Race Team claim both a Driver Championship and a Manufacturer’s Championship in the Touring Car A (TCA) class, while the team also secured second place in the Touring Car (TC) Driver Championship. Veteran driver P.J. Groenke led the
way, piloting the #62 MINI JCW to victory in the TCA class, earning 14 podium finishes and eight wins. Cristian Perocarpi also delivered standout performances, finishing second in the TC class. Behind the wheel of the #37 MINI JCW PRO, Perocarpi claimed eight podium finishes, including three wins—two at Road America and one at Virginia International Raceway. Teammates Scott Thomson, Alan Grossberg, and Bruce Myrehn contributed to the team's success with additional podium placements, demonstrating the depth of talent within the MINI JCW roster.
A LEGACY LIVES ON
MINI has always felt at home on the track. John Cooper's name has stood for excellence and performance since he first discovered the racing potential of the Classic MINI in the early 60s.
The Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is a race unlike any other. Its extreme nature, daring backdrops, and rigorous stages are known to bring the best of the best to their knees. But not for MINI. In 2021, MINI saw its sixth overall win in the Saudi Arabian desert when Stéphane Peterhansel triumphed in his MINI JCW Buggy.
Meet Luis Perocapri
Luis Perocapri has been the heart and team owner of the JCW Race Team for over nine years — leading the crew to a number of historic victories. He founded LAP Motorsports LLC in 2008 and has been a longtime champion and supporter of MINI Motorsports.
The Bulldog Race Team
The heart of Bulldog Racing, a private racing team based in Nürburg with an impressive resumé of podium wins, lies within its two MINI John Cooper Works race cars - one of which competed in the Nürburgring, a legendary 24-hour long endurance racing event in Germany.
