Tire manufacturer Cooper Tire Europe has been announced as the ‘Official Tire Partner’ to the 2017 RX Academy, a new series designed to provide a ‘professional environment for drivers to start their rallycross careers’.
Cooper has been a leading brand way in rallycross tire production for almost three decades, and is the sole supplier to the FIA World Rallycross Championship since 2014.
Created for 2017 by Finnish company SET Promotion and multiple FIA European Rallycross Champion Jussi Pinomäki, the RX academy will allow competitors to race identical Renault Clio Cup RX cars with 220bhp and six-speed sequential gearboxes in a five-round series, while receiving professional coaching and mentoring on all aspects of being a professional racing driver, from physical and mental training to media and PR coaching.
“We are delighted to be associated with the new RX Academy and assist young drivers learning their craft in the exciting sport of rallycross,” commented Sarah McRoberts, marketing communications manager for Cooper Tire Europe. “In addition, it’s a great platform for Cooper to demonstrate its long-standing expertise in producing tires which are designed to handle all surfaces found on rallycross circuits.”
The 2017 RX Academy winner will receive a free drive in the FIA European Rallycross Super1600 Championship, or significant assistance in competing in the RX2 International Series presented by Cooper Tires, competing at FIA World Rallycross Championship events.
“We’re pleased to be working with Cooper through the RX Academy. This is a new concept designed to give young drivers the best possible opportunity to make professional careers in rallycross, and Cooper has such a rich history with the sport that combining the two makes perfect sense,” said head of RX Academy, Jussi Pinomäki. “Cooper’s tires are a known quantity; they work well in all the conditions we come across over a rallycross season, and the fact that the same brand is used in the European and World Championship will only help the learning process of the RX Academy drivers.”
