... moves up a gear
The John Cooper Challenge – the popular one-make MINI race series - hascelebrated its selection as primary support race to the prestigious BritishGT and British F3 race card by securing an unprecedented number of returncompetitors, a packed grid and extensive TV exposure for 2005.
The 2005 season will be the Challenge’s fourth and looks set to be the mostexciting yet. Twelve races are spread across six double-header weekends atselected rounds and venues from the GT/F3 calendar, including Donington,Castle Combe, Mondello Park and Silverstone.
No fewer than 15 of last year’s competitors are amongst the 26 lined up tostart the 2005 Challenge at Donington on April 2, demonstrating the pullingpower of the MINI, the professionalism of the championship’s organisationand the outstanding media exposure that the championship enjoys.
All twelve rounds of the Challenge will be filmed for broadcast as astand-alone 30-minute show across Sky Sports channels.
The grid will comprise eighteen 133bhp Works MINI Coopers and eight 210bhpWorks MINI Cooper S, the latter benefiting from a 10bhp power hike in linewith its road car equivalent.
Once again, the John Cooper Challenge has attracted a wide range ofcompetitors, from all walks of life, including a pair of high-flying Cityspouses – Andrew and Sue Cox (39 & 38, Battersea) - who are taking the ‘workhard, play hard’ ethos to the limit, both lining up on the Challenge grid inmirror-image Works MINI Coopers.
Also keeping it in the family will be father and son, Jonathan and DavidShepherd (48 & 20, Sandbach, Cheshire). Jonathan will be entering his thirdseason in the John Cooper Challenge and relying upon experience to keep himahead of David’s youthful charge.
Joining them will be Freddy Nordström (Weybridge), a graduate of two yearsin T-cars, who turned sixteen on the 22nd of February, qualifying him torace but still needing Mum to take him to and from the circuit.
Amongst those returning for a third year is Mark Speller, John CooperChallenge Champion in 2003. He comments:
‘The Challenge continues to go from strength to strength. The fact thatwe’ll now be running alongside the prestigious GT and F3 programme istestament to the professionalism of the series in its first three years.’
John Cooper Works Managing Director, Mike Cooper, who created the Challengein 2002 as a tribute to his late father’s longstanding association with Miniand motorsport, is thrilled with the series’ elevation in status:
‘It’s fantastic news that for the fourth year in a row we’ve got such a fullgrid weeks in advance of the season start. We’re all hugely excited aboutthis season’s changes and can’t wait to get started.’
