Cooper partners Goodwood Members’ Meeting for Rally Sprint

Cooper Tire Europe has presented a unique Rally Sprint event at the 78^th Goodwood Members’ Meeting in a new partnership. Delayed since March 2020, the eagerly awaited Members’ Meeting took place on 16-17 October. The Goodwood Rally Sprint Presented by Cooper Tires showcased Cooper’s rallying heritage with a spectacular selection of World Rally Championship (WRC) machinery. It is currently a supplier to the North American Rally Championship and the Mobil Rally Chile, as well as being the sole tyre supplier to the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the sister FIA European Rallycross Championship.

Drivers included five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro, five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae, 2003 Le Mans winner Guy Smith and former Group B star Kalle Grindel. The cars included icons from the flame-spitting mid-1980s Group B era, such as Audi Quattros, a Peugeot 205 T16, a Ford RS200 and a Metro 6R4 doing battle with their Group A era successors, including Subaru Imprezas and Lancia Deltas. From the 1970s, the first ‘rally supercar’, the mid-engined Lancia Stratos, also took to the stage.

Cooper said the event delivered as a dramatic addition to the Members’ Meeting. The cars ran twice on Saturday evening, as the sun set and the party got going, then again on Sunday morning around a spectacular course designed to incorporate the start-finish line and Woodcote Corner. The event featured the first publicly-attended rally sprint to be held at the venue after a trial event at the televised Goodwood SpeedWeek in 2020.

Cecilia Razeto, head of marketing communications EMEA, Cooper Tire Europe, said: “Goodwood is one of the most prestigious and authentic motorsport venues in the world. Cooper Tire Europe was thrilled to be involved in the 78th Goodwood Members’ Meeting and we were delighted to be presenting such an exciting line-up in front of such passionate and well-informed fans.”