MINI USA Exploring New Racing Series In the US

DimON · 2025-04-15T10:42:00Z

After several successful years in the TC America Series, MINI USA and the JCW Racing Team have decided to take a hiatus from racing. Here’s why that might to be a bad thing.

As always, MINI USA is looking for maximum exposure from its racing activities. With five years of trophies and titles under its belt, the brand has decided to move on and begin exploring other motorsport avenues that might offer a brighter spotlight. While there’s nothing to announce just yet, MINI USA and LAP Motorsports LLC (which operates the JCW Racing Team) are actively investigating new opportunities to go racing.

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Until then, there’s still plenty of MINI motorsport action to follow. The brand will return to the 2025 24h Nürburgring, taking place on June 21st and 22nd. There’s also the relatively new NXT Gen Cup, an electric racing series introduced in 2024. This series features the all-electric MINI Cooper SE and aims to promote emerging talent in electric motorsports. In 2025, the NXT Gen Cup will continue to support Formula E events across Europe, including stops in Misano, Monaco, Berlin, and London.

A Look Back at the JCW Racing Team’s Success in TC America

From 2019 through 2024, the MINI John Cooper Works (JCW) Team built an impressive legacy in the TC America series, combining underdog charm with championship-caliber execution. The 2019 season marked the beginning of their rise, with the team gaining serious momentum and establishing themselves as more than just a novelty act. That year, MINI not only racked up strong finishes but also clinched the Manufacturer’s Championship—a clear signal that the brand’s bite matched its bark.

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In 2020, the team delivered a defining performance, sealing the TC America Driver’s Championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and backing it up with a second consecutive Manufacturer’s title. These back-to-back honors underscored just how well the MINI JCW cars—small, agile, and relentlessly competitive—fit the DNA of TC America racing.

The 2021 season saw the team expand its presence, fielding multiple entries and continuing to prove its consistency against deeper-pocketed rivals. By 2022, that consistency translated into regular podium finishes, solidifying MINI’s status as a serious contender season after season.

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Momentum hit a new high in 2023 when Clay Williams captured the TC Class Driver’s Championship, a testament to the team’s ongoing evolution and MINI’s staying power in the series. Then came 2024—a banner year by any standard. P.J. Groenke took home the TCA Driver’s Championship with 14 podiums, including eight wins. Cristian Perocarpi followed up with a second-place finish in the TC class, earning three wins and eight podiums. MINI USA once again claimed the TCA Manufacturer’s Championship, bringing the tally to three since 2019. Just as impressively, the JCW Team earned “Crew of the Year” in both TC and TCA classes—an accolade made even sweeter by the fact that 75% of the crew were MINI dealer service technicians.

Over six seasons, the MINI JCW Team transformed from a scrappy upstart to a multi-time championship-winning force. With sharp strategy, proven engineering, and a no-nonsense crew, they proved that MINI’s racing spirit is alive and well—and more competitive than ever.