Drivers

The MINI John Cooper Works team is currently racing in the SRO TC America class.

Clayton
Williams

Clay started go-kart racing at 7 and worked up through the classes and competed at top kart events across the country. In early 2018 he was selected as one of 4 finalists for the VMB Driver Academy Scholarship. He then made the jump to cars in Spec Miata racing with NASA. During his second season in Spec Miata, he joined the MINI JCW Team for a partial season in the SRO TC America Series, finishing 3rd in his first professional debut at Sonoma Raceway. Fast forward to 2022, Clay was runner up in the TC Class Drivers Championship with 4 wins. In 2023 he won the TC Class Drivers Championship with 12 podiums and 5 wins. Clay also took part in LAP Motorsports debut NASA race at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in 2023, placing 3rd in class, 5th overall.

P.J.
Groenke

2017 Pirelli World Challenge TCB Champion, Driver with 2017/2018 Team Champions, and 2018 Manufacturer Champions. P.J. Groenke has been competing in the SRO World Challenge TC America Series since 2013. P.J. brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the MINI JCW Team having accumulated 4 race wins, 38 podiums, 2 pole positions, and 12 fastest race laps. P.J. won his first Pro race with Team Octane in the Canadian Touring Car Championships driving the iconic MINI Cooper S in 2010. Since joining the MINI JCW Team in 2022, P.J. has accumulated 4 podiums, including his first SRO Motorsports TC America TCA Class win at Virginia International Raceway in 2023 along with 2 fastest race laps.

Cristian
Perocarpi

Gamer-turned-racer, Cristian learned to keep his tires maintained by playing racing games with his friends. Cristian grew up in the motorsports capital of the world and dreamt of being a professional race car driver. His dad, Luis Perocarpi is the owner of the MINI JCW Racing Team. In 2021, after graduating high school, Luis gave Cristian the opportunity to race one of the MINI race cars at Sebring, one of the toughest race tracks in the world. Cristian finished in 3rd place with the 2nd fastest race lap. That was the beginning of his professional career! Cristian completed the 2023 racing season with 7 podium finishes in his debut year in TC class. Cristian pilots the number 37 MINI JCW Pro TC car.

Scott
Thomson

Scott began his racing career shortly after obtaining his NASA Competition License. He raced the end of the 2023 NASA and SCCA Spec Miata season with Clayton Williams Racing. To round off the 2023 season, Scott joined LAP Motorsports in their NASA debut for the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in November, finishing 3rd in class, 5th overall. Scott, is joining the MINI JCW Team for the 2024 SRO Motorsports TC America series and will be piloting the number 66 MINI JCW Pro TC car.

Luis
Perocarpi

Born with the passion for speed and the spirit of competition, Luis Perocarpi has pursued his dreams of racing. From his young days at the dirt race tracks of Chile to IndyCar at Indianapolis, Luis has earned valuable experience in the racing industry. In 2014, alongside longtime friend and IndyCar teammate Rob Ridgely, founded LAP Motorsports and created the MINI JCW Racing Team. The pair operate successful programs in IndyCar, IMSA, SRO and Off Road. Besides building the most successful production based MINI JCW race cars in modern times, Luis has also been very successful behind the wheel of a race car, competing successfully in IMSA, SRO and winning in CTCC, Baja 1000 and Sonora Rally.

Bruce
Myrehn

Bruce began his racing career in 2000 after earning his racing license at Skip Barber Racing School. He went on to compete in open wheel Formula Dodge and worked as an instructor with several driving clubs across the Midwest. In 2010, Bruce began competing in NASA Spec Miata racing earning several wins and many podium finishes. Bruce joined the MINI JCW Racing Team in 2022 for the final race weekend of the season at Indianapolis. In 2023, he competed with the team again at both Road America and Indy, earning a career best 5th place at Road America. 

Mark
Pombo

Mark grew up attending his father’s races and falling in love with motorsports.  He began racing quarter midgets at the age of five and soon moved on to Legend cars.  Following in his brother’s footsteps, Mark made his way behind the wheel of a Spec Miata in SCCA regional and national events and experienced great success before enlisting in the military in 2002.  Mark’s driving talent earned him a ride in the Volkswagen TDI Cup series in 2008 and 2009, Mark and his wife, Leah Pombo, reside in suburban Atlanta.

Tomas
Mejia

Tomas Mejia is the team’s youngest ever driver, starting his pro racing career at the age of 15 at Watkins Glen in 2019. The young MINI driver was an immediate container scoring podium finishes in 4 out of 8 races and took his first pro career win at the second round of the 2020 season opener in COTA. 

Mat
Pombo

Racing is in Mathew Pombo’s blood.  He began his motorsports career as a young man racing go-carts and Legends cars while watching his father, Pepe Pombo, race in the 1980s and 90s.  Mat quickly climbed the ranks and experienced tremendous success in SCCA club racing with many wins and track records to his credit.  Mat resides in suburban Atlanta with his wife, Beth, and two children, Eli and Henry.

Nate
Norenberg

Nate began racing go karts, and as they say, the rest is history. In 2008 he won his first karting championship in Minnesota. Learning quick and moving fast up the racing ladder. In 2009 he followed that with a second championship in a different class. In 2010 his Professional driving career began. He was selected by Volkswagen to race in the Jetta TDI Cup along with 24 other drivers from all over North America. In 2011 he participated in his first ISMA race at Watkins Glen and finished second.

Derek
Jones

Derek Jones is a Philadelphia based sports car racer. He began racing sportscars when he was 17 years old. Derek has divisional and national championships in both the SCCA and SVRA. Derek has run various cars from open-wheel to GT cars in various series. Derek also tests, tunes and races various vintage cars including vintage Formula One cars, 2 Liter Sports Racers, Formula B and other formula cars.

Mike
LaMarra

Mike LaMarra joins the team for his seventh season of IMSA racing. The 2013 ST Driver Champion is excited to reunite with friend and first crew chief, Luis Perocarpi. His passion for racing began early, having grown up inside his parent’s motorcycle dealership. His first break in professional racing came in 2011 at Mid-Ohio setting his career in motion. In 2012 he saw his first podium and won his first ST race at Road Atlanta in 2013. Mike’s favorite memory is “kissing the bricks” after winning the Brickyard Sports Car Challenge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Colin
Mullan

Colin has been racing since age 5. Quarter Midgets, Mini Cups.  Karting, Forumla 2.0 and now sportscars. Colin was also awarded the 2018 Team USA Scholarship which included the opportunity to race Formula Ford in the United Kingdom.  Colin raced severals seasons with the MINI JCW Team with LAP Motorsports and recently won the 2020 SRO GT Championship.

Tyler
Stone

Staring at a young age, Tyler has always been in love with motorsports. He quickly advanced from race school students in both the U.S. and overseas, up the ranks to success in club racing. Not long into his career, Tyler was recruited to make his first appearance in the 2013’s Grand-Am Sports Car Series and then in IMSA’s Continental Tire Challenge during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He laughs at the irony when he reflects back on his first experience on a road course in a race-prepped Koni Challenge MINI Cooper. Tyler resides in Homewood, Alabama with his wife and two children.

Jay
Salinsky

Dr. Jared Salinsky has been racing for nine years, and professionally for three years. Last year he took fifth in points in the Perelli World Challenge Touring Car A in a Mazda MX Five. But this year decided to run in an endurance racing setting due to the tremendous excitement and teamwork. Jay is doing a partial season this year due to unchangeable scheduling conflicts but looking forward to a full season next year and beyond.

Stephen
Simpson

Stephen has raced in various open-wheel and sportscar series with over 70 race wins to his name. He has finished 1st Place PC Class finish in the prestigious 24 hours of Daytona 2016, 2nd at Detroit, 2nd place overall finish at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, 2nd place overall finish at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and had a Pole Position at Lime Rock. During 2015, Stephen was also a race driver for LAP Motorsport, the official team of MINI USA.