Clay Williams wins Driver's Championship in the Touring Car class of the 2023 SRO TC America Series
October 16, 2023 by MINI• First Driver's Championship for Williams, MINI USA and the MINI John Cooper Works Race Team • Team consisting of full time crew and MINI dealer technicians voted Crew of the Year MINI USA and the MINI John Cooper Works Team are proud to congratulate Clay Williams, driver of the #60 MINI JCW PRO, on winning the Driver's Championship for the Touring Car (TC) class of the 2023 SRO TC America series. This was the first Driver's Championship for the 21 year old driver from Oakley, Calif. The MINI JCW Team, operated by Brownsburg, Ind.-based LAP Motorsports, was also voted Crew of the Year for the series by the field of credentialed participants and competitors. A dominant season for Williams Clayton Williams had what many would consider his best season ever. Williams took home five first place finishes, five second places finishes and one third place finish – totalling 11 of the team's total 21 podiums this season in the TC and Touring Car A (TCA) classes. Williams also swept the P1 spot in four straight races, taking the top spot for both races on two consecutive race weekends at Circiut of the Americas and Virginia International Raceway. Crew of the Year is an understatement The MINI JCW Team, owned and operated by Luis Perocarpi and Rob Ridgely at LAP Motorsports, were also voted Crew of the Year by the series' credentialed participants and competitors. This recognition by the competition field is a significant accomplishment given that the team only has three full time crew members. Those crew members were supported throughout the season by more than 20 qualified MINI dealer technicians who work alongside the team during practice, qualifying and race days as part of the MINI Technician Race Crew Program. These crew members and MINI technicians do everything from full engine replacements to body work and more right in the paddock at the track in between on track sessions. Teamwork makes the dream work Clay Williams was not the only driver on the MINI JCW Team to put up podiums this season. Williams' teammate and close friend 20 year old Cristian Perocarpi took home seven podiums in the #37 MINI JCW PRO during the season, including a second place finish at both Ciricuit of the Americas and Road America. Team veteran P.J. Groenke also took home three podiums in the #62 MINI JCW in the TCA class, including his first career win at Virginia International Raceway and third place finishes at NOLA Motorsports Park and Road America. Williams, Perocarpi and Groenke were also joined for several races throughout the season by Bruce Myrehn, Landon Lewis and MINI Canada's Alain Lauziere, all competing in the TCA class.
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'I cannot begin to express how proud I am of this team after yet another very succesful season, especially given that we put up the most consistent performance of any team in the paddock,' said Luis Perocarpi, team owner, LAP Motorsports. 'Clay was flawless throughout the season and our crew being recognized by the rest of the competition shows the caliber of team we were in the paddock.' The MINI JCW Race Team finished the 2023 SRO TC America Series as runner up for both the Manufacturer's Championship and Team Championship. About the MINI JCW Team The MINI JCW Team, operated by LAP Motorsports, drives MINI's most powerful Hardtop ever in the two-door MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop. The team competes in the fiercely competitive SRO TC America Series. For additional information please visit minijcwteam.com or email luis@minijcwteam.com. About MINI in the US MINI is an independent brand of the BMW Group. In the United States, MINI USA operates as a business unit of BMW of North America, LLC, located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey and includes the marketing and sales organizations for the MINI brand. The authorized MINI USA dealer organization is represented by a network of 104 MINI full passenger car sales and service dealers located throughout the US. MINI USA began selling vehicles in the U.S. in 2002 with the introduction of the MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S Hardtops. Since then, the MINI brand in the U.S. has grown to encompass a model range of five unique vehicles.
