.......Bumper-to-Bumper at Brands

Champions Meet Champions at Brands Hatch On Sunday, July 10th  twenty-six of the best British MINI Cooper drivers-including 2002, 2003 and 2004 John Cooper Challenge Champions, Steven Meli,Mark Speller, Gary Robertshaw and Martin Wallbank- are set to gohead-to-head at Brands Hatch in the inaugural Darren Needham Memorial Race. A non-championship round of the 2005 John Cooper Challenge, the DarrenNeedham Memorial Race has been added to the calendar to commemorate 2004 JCCcompetitor Darren Needham, who lost his life in a racing accident atSilverstone last year. The Darren Needham Memorial Race is set to become a yearly event for JohnCooper Challenge competitors past and present. The weekend will be acelebration of Darren's life and love of motor racing and is being fullysupported by his family and their business, James Villas Holidays. Thewinner of the 133 bhp Works MINI Cooper and 210 bhp Works MINI Cooper Scategories will each win a one week villa holiday for two people. Darren'sfather, James is looking forward to once again meeting his formerco-competitors and friends from the 2003 and 2004 series.    "It will be nice to reacquaint myself with all the guys and girls I racedwith in 2003 & 2004. I feel sure that Darren would have been flattered thatsuch an event was organised in his memory and would wish his old comradesall the best for the race.

It is nice to see that the friendly spirit of the Challenge is still sostrong and I am looking forward to watching a close race."   

All the former JCC champions have decided to participate and spectators atthe Kent circuit will see which one of them is the "Champion of Champions"in the world of MINI racing. 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 how many previous competitors are returningfor the memorial race:"It will be great to see so many familiar faces in the paddock for the raceand maybe it will settle who is the best champion so far in the 4 yearhistory of the John Cooper Challenge. The main emphasis of the event is to have fun without worrying about pointsand places, but I am sure with the calibre of racers we have competing willproduce some excellent door to door racing that the Challenge is famousfor."The John Cooper Challenge is the UK's only official MINI racing series.Since its inception in 2002, the twelve-race championship has provided itscompetitors with bumper-to-bumper racing action, packed grids and lots offun.