With a Mini Aceman E JCW on our driveway and the 2024 Nürburgring 24 Hours (officially known as ADAC Ravenol 24h Race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife) looming this weekend, it seemed fitting that we had an exclusive chat with Charlie Cooper, Mini JCW brand ambassador, son of Mike Cooper (John Cooper Works founder) and Grandson to the late, great John Cooper – now that’s what I call an intro!
Pt 1 of 3. Charlie’s 24-Hour Endurance Saga at the Nürburgring
For those that don’t know, the Nürburgring Nordschleife, is a ribbon of tarmac draped across Germany’s Eifel mountains. It isn’t just a racetrack; it’s a legend, a fearsome crucible known as the ‘Green Hell’. For Mini ambassador and driver Charlie, the prospect of tackling this beast in a 24-hour endurance race is both a thrilling challenge and a nerve-wracking test of skill, machinery, and resilience at what many consider the toughest circuit in the world, so what better to do it in than a Mini JCW.
Charlie, a self-professed enthusiast for the visceral connection of ‘changing gear’, acknowledges the unique demands of the Nürburgring. His first true encounter with the Nordschleife wasn’t until 2019, a relatively late pilgrimage for a dedicated “petrol head,” and his first race there followed a couple of years later. He vividly recalls his initial ’19 tourist lap, as a crazy thing where ordinary drivers in road-legal cars can brave the circuit, an experience dominated by the nervousness of navigating traffic and the sheer speed at which the daunting track unfolds.
“It’s an incredible circuit, it’s got everything, and it just flows,” Charlie explains, yet he’s quick to emphasise the inherent danger. “You have to remind yourself you’re on a very dangerous circuit, so you’ve always gotta respect it”. This sentiment is echoed by seasoned GT and even Formula car drivers he knows, who attest that the Nordschleife is one of the few circuits where a driver can never switch off, as you never know what’s around the next corner.
Interestingly, Charlie says that he finds a moment of relative calm amidst the chaos on the Döttinger Höhe, the circuit’s long main straight. While spectators might see it as the scariest, fastest part, for drivers like Charlie, it’s a brief window to kind of relax, communicate with the pit crew, and take a sip of water, free from the immediate worry of an impending corner or a faster GT3 car appearing in the mirrors.
At the endurance race, Mini runs a three or four driver team and normally with a 1 hour shift each that sometimes stretches to 2, impressive for such a complex and demanding track. Charlie highlights the sundown shift as one of his favourites, and for an unexpected reason.
“You’ve got a 100,000 odd people all firing up their barbecues and starting to drink more around then, so you’re driving around on a very dangerous circuit and your car’s full of a barbecue smell,” Charlie jokes.
At the heart of Charlie’s Nürburgring campaign(s) is a Mini JCW, a car with both a racing and family pedigree. He references a previous class win of ’24 with another Cooper JCW, and its gearbox closely related to the one in their current F66 race car, a testament to its durability in the toughest race in the world.
The Bulldog Racing/JCW team’s re-entry into the 24-hour race this year however, is marked by a striking new livery, a collaboration with the Australian brand Deus Ex Machina, known for its custom motorbike and surfing culture. Charlie, a fan of their work (he really wants a branded hat), believes this bold design will make them stand out on the grid and provide a fresh story, something he says is crucial for motorsport engagement.
While based on its road-going counterpart, this year’s Mini is a purpose-built racing machine. It features a proper welded-in roll cage for immense stiffness, racing slicks for dry conditions, upgraded brakes, and, crucially, adjustable race suspension developed meticulously with specialists like KW. “It’s not like kind of a cheap way of going racing,” Charlie asserts. “It’s a proper project”. Though the chassis and engine share much with the production model, the race car boasts more power. Significantly, learnings from the race car, particularly in suspension, are hoped to influence future JCW road cars, reinforcing the “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” philosophy. Rest assured, this isn’t mere marketing; BMW Group, including Mini, genuinely tests its vehicles on the Nordschleife.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours is an extreme test. The circuit’s microclimate is notoriously fickle; Charlie describes how one part of the track can be basking in 30°C sunshine while another, deep in the forest, is enduring a 10°C downpour. Last year, the race was called several hours early, with fog being the villain of all involved. This year, the race is scheduled four weeks later than previously, bringing hopes of warmer and more reliable weather, though as Charlie notes, “in this area, you never know”.
Driving at night on this unlit, unforgiving track, especially with poor visibility as experienced in a previous year, is according to Charlie, “not pleasant”. The primary focus, beyond outright speed, is endurance. “The classic saying is to finish first, you got to finish,” Charlie wisely states. Just keeping the car running for 24 hours is a monumental task, a testament to the team’s preparation and the car’s robustness. Before the green flag even drops, the tension is palpable. Charlie admits his biggest fear in the lead-up is avoiding any incidents in practice or qualifying. “The worst thing would be Charlie crashing the car before the race,” he mused after a final development, underscoring the immense pressure to simply get the car to the starting line intact.
For Charlie and his team, the Nürburgring 24 Hours is more than a race; it’s a profound challenge against a legendary track, unpredictable conditions, and the limits of human and mechanical endurance – plus he has the added ‘Cooper’ heritage to uphold (no pressure then). Success here is measured not just in trophies, but in the grit, skill, and spirit required to conquer the Green Hell. Good luck Charlie.
Picture credit – Charlie’s Social Media pages
