MINI Challenge & Phil Wicks Join Forces

Sections: Motorsports Feb 16th, 2006 19 Comments

mini

Phil Wicks of the North American MINI Cooper Championship series are scheduled to announce an affliation with UK based MINI Challenge (formerly the John Cooper Challenge) to organize and direct a MINI Cooper racing series in the United States starting in 2006 next week. Phil will also be in attendance at Great & British Motorsport Festival Media Day at Brands Hatch (24.02.06) to answer questions and provide information pertaining to the launch of the North American MINI Cooper Championship in 2006.

Among the announcements:

2006 Series will take place with five races on the series calendar with additional events to be announced.
UK Champion will receive an entry into one round of the US series as part of the Series award package. Similarly, the U.S. Champion will be entitled to compete in one round of the UK series.
Series administration, the Director of Racing will be managed by Pete Taylor
Series marketing managed by Brian Mackey of Mackey Marketing Group, Inc.
US Rules integrated with UK series enabling UK entrants to compete in US series

Also recently announced is the race schedule for both series. As usual the track line-up is filled with some pretty impressive names like Brands Hatch and Spa Francorchamps on the UK side, and Laguna Seca and Sebring in the US. You can read all the details below:

[ 2006 Calendar ] MINI Challenge (UK)

[ 2006 Calendar ] North American Mini Championship Race Series

And for some inspiration be sure to check out the photo gallery from previous years of the John Cooper Challenge.

Written By: Gabe

Rob

How exciting! I can’t wait to see if the local MINI club memebers would like to make a road trip.

RKR
gokartride

Fantastic news!!! I hope the gears start turning soon for full coverage of the series within the U.S.-based MINI community. I won’t hold my breath on television coverage…although one can dream.
http://jamesday.net/mini James

I’ll be in Sebring to watch the race and for some fast laps around the track myself. Sunshine MINIs will be out in force.
Glen

That’s awesome news for us in the UK too. A chance to visit the US if we win our series.

It’ll give us even more to race for.

Look out for the progress of S-class, car #51 BRISTOW, I’m part of his crew!

USA Here We Come!
Derek

WHAT?

NOTHING IN TEXAS?

PAH!
Giacomo

Th car pictured must have been doing some Bump Drafting.
JD

Man, if only I could walk away from my job and learn how to race… I would be so there!
tsukiji

I can’t wait for the series to start…this is sooooo cool!
http://bravo5.org/blog blalor

JD, if that image is any indication, no learning required! ;-)
Siddhartha

All you ‘Bahn burners and back road Marios should definitly bring your stuff to the Las Vegas Speedway on March 25th during AMVIV and join us for a Phil Wicks Driving Academy event. There you’ll learn your limits as well as the car’s limits with an instructor to help you at a place where everyone is going in the same direction and there’s no CHP. You first time fast guys shouldn’t worry about getting held up in the Novice Class. These are not parade laps; you will get to go as fast as you can safely go and be able to pass slower drivers on the straights. You might want to get a little seat time in traffic before moving up, but if you get hooked on this track day stuff, move up you will, as soon as your instructor signs you off. This is not door-to-door racing, but it is just one step below that. Safety always comes first at a track day. Next comes fun, and this is about the most fun you can have in a MINI. In addition, you’ll have an inside view of the opening round of the MINI Challenge Race as well as be able to visit with the Handsome Windblown Drivers in the paddock between runs.

Look us up in the paddock. Sad Arthur will be easy to find (see my NAM Gallery), and I just may be the one strapping into your right seat to show you the line.

See you on the Speedway, Sid

http://www.amviv.com/ http://www.minidriving.com/

Edit/Delete Message
RED FURY

I will be running in the series

ANYONE WANT TO SPONSOR MY CAR ???

philmunch@aol.com
Siddhartha

Can I buy a vowel?
Xan

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/mini+cooper/0/EA4EF176-0E84-47DF-B8FC-1C50F83E7C09.htm

I would like to see one of these in person . . . but I would park very far away.

cheers
Siddhartha

Nice video! But don’t expect that kind of action in LV. The Brits have been running the JCC for years and it’s become very popular. The US series is just getting started, so there won’t be that kind of crowd on the grid . . . yet.
http://blu-iguana.us J/C

Siddhartha, CHP has no jurisdiction in Nevada. :-)

See you in Vegas!
http://www.webbmotorsports Brian@webbmotorsports

You can expect the entire Webb team out for all of the US events, and hopefully Spa. See you guys there!

-Brian
http://minicooperclub.activeboard.com Rocketboy

Let’s hope it gets some TV time… :)

Erik…
http://www.dynamicminicollective.com Pflashinaz

The Penske dealership in Phx. AZ has been running a spec MINI series in conjunction with ProAutoSports for the past year. I wonder if this is similar?
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