Mini Rally Returns: Father-Son Team Takes on Pastrana & LIA BLOCK in ARA

February 4, 2026

• Mini’s John Cooper Works Race Team returns to ARA for a full 2026 season with LAP Motorsports running two nearly-stock vehicles – a 312-hp Countryman All4 in Limited 4WD and a 201-hp Cooper S in Open 2WD. The brand is banking on ARA’s stock-friendly rules to showcase their street cars’ capabilities without getting blown away by heavily modified competitors.
• Father-son duo Luis and Cristian Perocarpi will pilot the Mini entries, with Luis (Baja 1000 winner) taking the Countryman and Cristian (touring car pro since 2021) handling the front-drive Cooper S. They’re stepping into serious competition, particularly in L4WD where they’ll face Travis Pastrana and LIA BLOCK – talk about jumping into the deep end of the talent pool.
• The season kicks off this weekend at Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan, with seven more events through October’s Lake Superior Performance Rally. While there are no other factory efforts in O2WD, the L4WD class puts them directly against established stars. Mini’s also bringing dealer techs to each event as crew recognition – because nothing says commitment to your program like making it a learning opportunity for your service network.

american rally association, lap motorsports, mini countryman, rally racing