Chasing the Ghost of Paddy Hopkirk, MINI returns to stage rally and tackles the snow and ice covered Stages of Sno*Drift Rally

 

Report: Neil McDaid

Photo's: Mini USA

Atlanta, Michigan, To understand why this return matters, one must look back to January 1964. It was the "Night of the Long Knives" on the Col de Turini where Irishman Paddy Hopkirk etched his name into legend. In what remains the ultimate "David vs. Goliath" story, Hopkirk’s diminutive Mini Cooper S out-muscled V8-powered Ford Falcons. On the treacherous, icy mountain passes of the French Alps, the Mini’s nimble front-wheel-drive layout proved that agility and balance are the ultimate equalizers against raw horsepower.

The brand’s modern history with the dirt has been a series of "what ifs." In 2011, MINI made a grand, yet tragically short-lived, return to the World Rally Championship (WRC). Partnering with the engineering maestros at Prodrive, the MINI John Cooper Works WRC car was a technical masterpiece. It found immediate success, with Dani Sordo taking the car to a stunning 2nd-place finish at the 2012 Monte Carlo Rally—a poetic nod to Hopkirk. However, corporate restructuring and budget shifts saw the factory program shuttered far too early, leaving fans wondering what a fully developed MINI could have achieved on the world stage.

In 2026, we see a return of the little car that could, well not so little anymore, The "works" effort returns via the MINI John Cooper Works Race Team, led by a name synonymous with the brand’s American road racing success: Luis Perocarpi.

This isn't just a corporate entry; it is a family legacy. The team principal, Luis Perocarpi, will lead from the driver’s seat of a 2025 MINI Countryman ALL4 in the Limited 4-Wheel Drive (L4WD) class. Luis brings a storied background from the IndyCar pits and IMSA paddocks, but his heart has always been in the dirt, fueled by a childhood watching rallies in Chile. Joining him on the stages is his son, Cristian Perocarpi, who will pilot a 2025 MINI JCW in the highly competitive Open 2-Wheel Drive (O2WD) class. 

Cristian has spent the last several seasons proving his mettle in SRO TC America, honing the precise car control required to keep a front-wheel-drive machine at the limit. Both drivers gained prior rally experience by competing in regional events in late 2025, with Luis running the Nemadji Trail Winter Rally and both father and son competing at the Show-Me Rally. Despite their impressive resumes in racing the unpredictable and unforgiving stages of Sno Drift will surly be a new test of skills. 

Both cars were prepared by LAP Motorsports in Indianapolis. Known for building championship-winning touring cars, LAP has adapted the production-based MINI platform for the ever changing conditions of stage rally. 

In L4WD, Luis will contend with top drivers including Travis Pastrana in a new Subaru WRX and Lia Block in a Ford Fiesta, to name a few. The O2WD class sees Cristian face off against strong competitors, with vast experience on the tricky stages of Sno Drift.

One can always dream of a Mini shocker, but this is a new day and experience will win on the day at Sno Drift, nonetheless, its great to see brands like Mini back in the game.