Sports · Other Sports · 14 hrs ago
Cooper Barnes wins the GR Cup championship
Cooper Barnes won his first GR Cup championship at Sandown after the season’s final races.
The title was still in play for five drivers going into the last race, with Barnes leading rival Ben Stewart by two points before the final day.
Stewart’s race-ending troubles damaged his title challenge after he spun and later made contact with another car.
Barnes finished sixth in Race 2 and fifth in Race 3, enough to secure the championship.
Will Thompson swept all three races at Sandown, earning his first wins in the series.
Barnes’s plans for next year are not known, though he has bought a Ford Mustang to race in Super2 in 2028, when Gen3 cars become eligible.
Cooper Barnes won his first GR Cup championship after finishing sixth in Race 2 and fifth in Race 3.
Barnes aimed to stay out of trouble and consolidate his position in the final races.
Five drivers still had a mathematical chance of winning the title before the final race.
Will Thompson won all three races at Sandown, sweeping the weekend.
Barnes’s plans for next year are not known, but he acquired a former Dick Johnson Racing Ford Mustang to race in Super2 in 2028.
- Who
- Cooper Barnes won the GR Cup championship.
- What
- He claimed his first series title.
- When
- Not stated. The article was published on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- Sandown.
- Why
- Barnes secured the championship by consolidating his position in the final races.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Barnes finished sixth, while Will Thompson took his second win of the weekend.
Thompson won again to sweep the weekend, and Barnes finished fifth.
- Champion
- Cooper Barnes
- Title
- First GR Cup championship
- Race 2 result
- Sixth
- Race 3 result
- Fifth
- Sandown race winner
- Will Thompson won all three races
What people are saying
I’ve been trying and trying so many years at it and finally I’ve got it, so I’m stoked, so happy with myself