Cooper Tire Europe today announced it has been selected as the exclusive tyre supplier to the FIA European Autocross Championship through 2022. Under the sponsorship, Cooper will supply all three of the FIA’s premier off-road championships. Cooper already supplies the FIA World Rallycross Championship – having been a sponsor of the series since its inception in 2014 – and the sister FIA European Rallycross Championship.
FIA European Autocross is staged on race circuits featuring natural terrainwith multiple unsealed surfaces, such as gravel or mud. Entries to the championship are divided into four categories: ‘SuperBuggy’, ‘Buggy1600’, ‘TouringAutocross’ and ‘JuniorBuggy’.
Next season, FIA European Autocross will organise nine events in six countries, travelling through the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia and Lithuania. At every round, all vehicles competing in the SuperBuggy and Buggy1600 categories will be supplied by Cooper, following the company’s successful response to the recent FIA tender, which included comprehensive tyre testing in Italy.
Paul Coates, General Manager, Motorsport, Cooper Tire Europe, said,“We are delighted to be selected as the exclusive tire supplier for the FIA European Autocross Championship. This complements our existing long-term involvements as supplier to the FIA World Rallycross Championship, the FIA European Rallycross Championship, multiple national rallycross championships and our rapidly expanding rally tyre ranges. It also aligns well with the strong Cooper SUV and 4×4 product offerings for non-competition use.”
Gyarfas Olah, President of the FIA Off-Road Commission: “The FIA is very pleased to sign Cooper as tyre partner for the FIA European Autocross Championship. They will play a key role in improving technical and sporting equity in the championship, and in assisting with the promotion of this spectacular discipline.”
Founded in the United States in 1914, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is the parent company of a family of companies that includes an active presence in Europe. This includes one of the company’s four Technical Centres for research and development, which is based in Melksham, England, as well as motorsports and motorcycle manufacturing, also in Melksham.
Off-roading is a significant part of Cooper’s DNA and is expressed in a strong range of 4×4 tyres for consumers. Cooper Tire Europe’s motorsports group – active in the UK since 1950 – offers high performance products for off-road competition. Cooper has proven itself in various forms of motorsport over the years, from single-seaters to rallying.
For more information about Cooper Tire Europe, go to www.coopertire.eu.
For more information about FIA European Autocross, visit www.fia.com.
