Way Captures North American MINI Cooper Championship Crown

Camden, SC: Waylen Hunsucker driving the Way Motor Works/M7 Tuning MINI Cooper S captured the first championship crown of the newly formed North American MINI Cooper Championship (NAMCC) at Carolina Motorsports Park on September 23-24. In capturing the championship, Hunsucker will travel all-expenses-paid to England’s Donnington Park on October 21st to compete as the U.S. entry in the highly competitive U.K MINI Challenge Series. Similarly, the U.K. champion is expected to come to the USA to compete in the first race of the 2007 North American MINI Cooper Championship early next year. Racers in the UK championship are eligible to compete in the NAMCC. Their right-hand drive MINIs will bring an element of international flair to the newly hatched NAMCC.

With the NAMCC championship all but sewn up, several competitors chose to keep their MINIs in the garage rather than undertake the long tow to South Carolina. Despite the slim field of entries, those that showed were able to present an enjoyable race as SCCA 2005 National Showroom Stock Champion Pete Taylor, who serves as the Director of Race Series for the NAMCC, took a break from defending his national crown to compete in the NAMCC. Taylor, driving a stock MCS finished a close 2nd to Hunsucker, who with sportsmanlike character, had eased up in the closing laps to give his lesser-powered competitor a chance to catch up. Rookie Matt Jensen finished 3rd in his Dreyer & Reinbold/M7 Tuning MCS rounding out the field. In Sunday’s 2nd race of the weekend, after discussions with the competitors, series administrators elected to run a “handicapped” race with Taylor being provided a head start over the higher horsepowered racers. Taylor was just nipped at the finish line by Hunsucker providing an exciting finale to the east coast NAMCC.

Phil Wicks, the series organizer, has announced that the 2007 NAMCC will be split into two divisions, an east coast and a west coast division, to enable local MINI racers an opportunity to race their cars closer to home and score important series championship points. As the calendar of 2007 events is drawn up, Wicks anticipates having a series “run-off” between east coast and west coast competitors at a central locale to determine the series championship.

“We have heard from a number of racers who wanted us to create two divisions,” said Wicks. “I think the 2007 series will encourage a number of MINI racers to compete in the NAMCC. The chance to race against other MINIs is clearly a desirable element and we look forward to welcoming more MINI racers next year. It is a fun, affordable race series. There are a number of exciting new developments underway and I think the 2007 season will be a break-out year for the NAMCC.”

Interest in the NAMCC is already achieving significant results. MavTV cable network has agreed to televise the entire 2007 series bringing the excitement of MINI racing to race fans across the country.

The final race of the 2006 NAMCC will be held at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, CA on October 30th followed by a charity fund-raising event, including a non-championship race for MINIs and “counterfeit” MINIs (non-MINI) on behalf of the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation on November 11.

For additional information on the NAMCC visit the website at www.minidriving.com.

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