Toronto, Ontario – Canadian driver James Vance has joined the MINI USA John Cooper Works team in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series, piloting one of the LAP Motorsports – owned MINI USA cars in the Street Tuner (ST) class for the 2016 season.

The Toronto, Ontario, resident is no stranger to the Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge (CTSC) series. He drove for several races of 2015 in the Racers Edge No 78 Mustang Boss 302R, completing the team’s best finish of the season in P6 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, and drove the same car to some of the quickest laps on track in the rain at The Continental Tire 150 at The Glen. In 2014, Vance piloted a Civic Si for Compass Racing 360, utilizing the front wheel drive format he’ll revisit in the MINI.

While a newcomer to this season’s team, Vance is very familiar with MINI JCW. “I have driven the MINI John Cooper Works road car at MSR Cresson in Texas, multiple times and I love everything about the chassis and how it reacts.”

This is the JCW MINI team’s second year in the CTSC series. Though missing the 2015 opener at Daytona International Speedway, the team completed the rest of the season, culminating with a P2 podium finish at rain soaked Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, with Mat Pombo and Derek Jones behind the wheel.

“I am truly excited. It is very rare that an opportunity such as this rolls across a drivers desk. One that encompasses all aspects of what racing should be.”

Vance created a unique business to business partnership opportunity with ExpoSystems Displays and Exhibits (www.exposystems.com), the largest modular systems manufacturer in Canada.

“Its exciting to utilize the B2B deals in the industry with other like minded companies that are there supporting the motorsports industry. That is just the business side of it though.”

“While I was in Atlanta last year for the final race of the CTSC season, I went by the LAP Motorsports pit, and what I saw, what I felt, was incredible. Everyone works in such a family manner, being patient with one another, and utilizing values and work ethic that should set the standard for others around them. I am proud to call myself a team member and equally proud to represent the Mini brand.”

The JCW MINI team is planning a three-car effort, with four of six drivers determined for the team’s Nos. 37, 52 and 73 cars.

Mat Pombo and Derek Jones will return to drive the No. 73 MINI, and Rahim Abdolvahabi has also signed a full season ride, although the team hasn’t confirmed who Vance will be paired with, nor which car he will drive. Two other drivers have yet to be announced for the season.

The team completed the Roar Before the 24, the traditional testing weekend to start the season, with Pombo, Jones, Vance, Abdolvahabi, and Ashley Freiberg all turning laps in either the No 57 or No 73 MINI. The MINI crew and drivers utilized every available moment preparing for the season-opening BWM Performance 200 at the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

“We probably debriefed over 8 hours, in addition to the time in the car. It’s mentally exhausting, as well as physically challenging. But the goal of testing is to have the cars ready to hit the ground running when we come back in 2 weeks.”

MINI JCW returns to Daytona International Speedway January 27-29, 2016, for the BMW Performance 200. The green flag waves on Friday, January 27, at 1:45pm, and will be streamed live at www.imsa.com. For the full schedule and more information, visit http://www.imsa.com/races/bmw-performance-200-2. Tickets are available at https://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Follow James Vance on social media:

Twitter: @james_vance
Instagram: jamesvancee
Snapchat: jamesvance
LinkedIn: James Vance
Facebook: James Vance Racing

About MINI/John Cooper Works

The MINI John Cooper Works team (http://www.minijcwteam.com), owned and operated by Indianapolis-based LAP Motorsports, is sporting 3 cars in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Street Tuner (ST) Class IMSA series. MINI has a long history in motorsports and has always felt right at home on the track. Ever since John Cooper first exploited the racing potential of the classic Mini in the early 1960s, his name has stood for success and performance on the race track with MINI.

Follow the team on social media:

Twitter: @lapmotorsports
Instagram: MINIJCWTEAM
Facebook: MINI JCW Team