John Cooper Works Race Team Snags First Win

The headlines last month were clear – “A Mini Wins Its First Race.” The Mini USA and the MINI John Cooper Works Race team formed a winning combo at the 2022 SRO TC America race series. The race was held in Louisiana at the NOLA Motorsports Park located in Avondale, and the winner was Clay Williams with his #60 Mini JCW Pro, which was in the tour car class for much of the race. 

Early on, though, no one could have predicted this level of success. The day before, the John Cooper Works race team vehicle had a few bugs to work out. As a result, Williams didn’t get the start he hoped for, starting in P3 for race two. Fortunately, by the sixth lap, Williams’ skill with the vehicle meant he made it to the front where he managed to hang on to his lead. 

The John Cooper Works race team uses small Minis that are ideal for racing. Thanks to a low center of gravity, they have incredibly good handling. Combine that with their agility, and they can string together some great laps around the track. The Mini has been hitting the SRO TC America series for quite a bit of time, and while they’ve gotten better with each race, this was certainly a pleasant surprise. 

There were two additional Minis featured on the weekend races. Cristian Perocarpi and PJ Groenke both raced as part of the touring car A class, but with less success. Perocarpi couldn’t complete the second race, and Groenke hit the wall in the final lap of race 1. The team worked to repair the vehicle, and he managed to finish P5.

For the rest of 2022, the minis will be entering more SRO TC America races. If you’re interested in seeing why Minis have the reputation for quickness and handling that they do, then come take a test drive!