K&N’s Phil Cooper Took British Autograss National Champion Titles in Class 9 & 10

In Autograss Class 9 at the 2015 National Championships, K&N Filters’ Phil Cooper got a perfect start, grabbing the hole shot heading into turn one before pulling away from the field for the win

Autograss racing is the biggest form of amateur motor racing in Britain. Autograss meets take place at venues throughout England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Autograss racing is held on natural surfaces such as grass or mud and usually on a 400 metre oval track. K&N sponsored Autograss competitor Phil Cooper participates in both class 9 and class 10 races. Class 9 Autograss cars are often the most competitive in open-class races by combining light weight with the power of naturally aspirated engines up to 2070 cc in displacement. Class 10 takes purpose built Autograss cars one step further and with a minimum displacement of 2071 cc, class 10 cars are often the most powerful in British Autograss.

The last race of the Autograss Nationals is for all 10 class winners, and despite starting 1-1/2 laps behind the first car Phil took the lead on the final lap to earn the Champion of Champions title

Each year the first weekend in August means just one thing to Autograss racers, the National Championships. The National Championships consist of one event held each year for men’s classes, with another event for ladies and junior classes. The National Championships gathers all the local Autograss clubs together to compete for the prestigious Champion of Champions title. In 2015 the National Championships took place at Withington Estate in Herefordshire and was hosted by the Severn Valley Autograss club. 2000 drivers from all over the United Kingdom used early season meetings as a chance to qualify in the top 400 to be eligible to race the National Championships.

2015 was the first time in the history of Autograss that someone had won the Overall British Autograss championship and the Nationals champion of champions in the same year

In Class 9 at the 2015 National Championships, K&N Filters’ Phil Cooper got a perfect start. He grabbed the hole shot heading into turn one before pulling away from the field. Phil earned a first place at the 2015 National Championships in Class 9. His class 10 race didn’t go as smoothly. Phil’s more powerful class 10 car pulled a wheelie off the starting line. Officials stopped the race and ordered a restart. Unfortunately Phil was excluded from the restart. The final race of the day is the Champion of Champions race where the winners from each class all run against one another. The fast cars, like Phil’s, are handicapped to give the other class winners a fighting chance. Despite starting 1-1/2 laps behind the first car Phil took over the lead on the final lap earning the Champion of Champions title.

In between Autograss commitments Phil races his K&N filters equipped Radical PR6 at venues like Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire and Donington Park in Castle Donington

While Phil Cooper had already been named the Champion of Champions at the Nationals, his Autograss season wasn’t over yet. Round 4 of the British Autograss series also took place at Withington Estate in Herefordshire. Phil went into round 4 leading the championship in class 9. Phil had an excellent day in class 9 taking the win in the final. Good heat races, followed by this win, secured the 2015 class 9 championship for Phil with one round remaining. K&N supported Phil Cooper also had an excellent day in class 10. He entered round 4 in third place, but by the end of the day he had advanced into first.

The final round of the British Autograss series took place in York on September 19th and 20th, 2015. Although Phil had claimed the class 9 title the class 10 championship and overall championship were still in the balance. The class 10 races couldn't have gone any better for Phil. He took 3 heat wins and a convincing win in the final. Phil captured the checkered flag with over a half lap lead to secure the class 10 British Autograss championship title. Phil also led the overall championship out of the 500+ registered drivers. Following 3 heat wins K&N air filters sponsored Phil Cooper had secured the overall win before the finals took place. This was the third time that Phil had taken the overall win but the first time in the history of Autograss that someone had won the Overall British Autograss championship and the Nationals champion of champions in the same year.