MINI Rally Recap: Grit, Snowbanks and a Podium at Sno*Drift

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Sno*Drift does not ease anyone into a season. Snow-packed forest roads, ice polished by repeated passes, and margins measured in inches rather than seconds make it one of the most honest rallies in North America. If you are going to reintroduce MINI to American stage rally, this is about as pure a place to do it as any.

And MINI made the most of it.

Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports

A Podium for the F66 JCW

The headline result came from Cristian Perocarpi and co-driver Carlos Schrunder in the F66 MINI JCW. In its first full rally outing at the national level, the car finished second overall, a remarkable result given the conditions and the depth of competition. It’s even more impressive that the team had a momentary off on the very last stage Saturday.

The JCW showed composure on snow and ice, building confidence stage by stage and avoiding the kind of small mistakes that tend to balloon into large ones at Sno*Drift. For a car that is still early in its competitive development, the performance was disciplined, controlled, and fast when it needed to be.

For MINI USA and LAP Motorsports, it was the kind of debut that validates months of preparation.

Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports

Drama for the JCW Countryman

The 2025 MINI JCW Countryman driven by Luis Perocarpi with co-driver Mark Wells had a more eventful weekend.

Midway through the rally, the Countryman reportedly went off into a snowbank due to lack of traction on the icy roads. While it didn’t mean a reticent, it did push the team way down the order for the remainder of the rally.

The time lost effectively ended any hopes of a top result, but the car continued and finished the rally under its own power. In an event as punishing as Sno*Drift, that matters.

Photo courtesy of LAP Motorsports

The Bigger Picture

Zoom out and this weekend represents something more important than individual stage times. MINI USA committed to a full eight-round American Rally Association campaign for 2026, marking the brand’s most serious U.S. rally effort in decades. This was the first true test of that commitment.

One car stands on the podium in its first national outing. The other survives an off, recovers and finishes a grueling winter rally. Both cars reach the end of one of the most demanding events on the calendar.

The 2026 season is just getting started. But after one weekend in Michigan snow, MINI’s return to American rallying already looks very real.

The Rally Calendar

The 2026 ARA season stretches from February through October and includes classic events across the United States. Here’s the full rundown:

• Sno*Drift Rally  February 6-7, 2026, Atlanta, Michigan
• Rally in the 100 Acre Wood March 13-14, 2026, Salem/Potosi, Missouri
• Olympus Rally April 17-19, 2026, Shelton, Washington
• Southern Ohio Forest Rally June 11-13, 2026, Chillicothe, Ohio
• Rally Colorado July 18-19, 2026, Rangely, Colorado
• Ojibwe Forests Rally August 27-29, 2026, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
• Overmountain Rally Tennessee September 18-19, 2026, Newport, Tennessee
• Lake Superior Performance Rally October 9-10, 2026, Marquette, Michigan

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