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ROC at Wembley

Multi-champions are the norm for The ROC

Media information: 19 November 2007

Andy Priaulx clinched his third consecutive World Touring Car Championship yesterday whilst American star Jimmie Johnson claimed a second NASCAR Nextel Cup, further adding to the multitude of motor racing titles already held by the elite driver line-up for The Race of Champions (ROC) in December.

Having just secured the 2007 WTCC title over fellow ROC driver Yvan Muller this weekend, Priaulx now counts six championships including three FIA World accolades. This makes him the 2007 Race of Champions’ second most successful FIA World Champion after Michael Schumacher, who holds nine single-seater titles in addition to his famous seven Formula 1 World Championships.

2007 DTM Champion Mattias Ekström
2007 DTM Champion Mattias Ekström

Representing Finland in this year’s ROC, which takes place at Wembley Stadium on 16 December, Marcus Grönholm sits high up the 2007 championship title ladder with seven titles in rallying, including two World Rally Championships (2000, 2002) in addition to his five Finnish Rally titles.

The Finn could increase his tally to include a third World Rally Championship, should he win against Sébastien Loeb in the WRC season finale in two weeks time.

Formula 1-bound Sébastien Bourdais clinched his fourth consecutive Champ Car championship last month and now counts six champion accolades in single-seaters.

Right on the heels of Bourdais is the 2007 DTM champion, Mattias Ekström, who clinched his fourth championship title last month in Germany.

“The Race of Champions is one of the best places to go if you’re looking for drivers with a bit of experience and success!” said the Audi driver, who partners seven-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen for the ROC Nations’ Cup Team Scandinavia. “There are plenty of good guys coming so it’s always a prestigious event. Some people say it’s for fun, and I have to say it is fun! But once we put our helmets on it’s maximum attack!”

Team America also features its share of honours with reigning Rally America Champion Travis Pastrana successfully defending his 2006 title this year, whilst Jimmie Johnson is now NASCAR’s champion for the second year running.

2007 DTM Champion Mattias Ekström
Supporting ICM

“The Race of Champions has always attracted an array of first-class drivers from all disciplines within motorsport and it is great to see that this year is no different,” said Fredrik Johnsson, President of ROC organisers IMP. “We would like to offer our congratulations to our recently crowned 2007 champions and look forward to seeing them in action at Wembley Stadium this December.”

  • driver

  • champion titles

  •  
  • M. Schumacher
  • FIA Formula 1 World Championship
    (‘94, ‘95, ‘00, ‘01, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04)
    German Formula 3 (‘90)
    German Formula König (‘88)
  •  
  • A. Priaulx
  • FIA World Touring Car Championship (‘05, ‘06, ‘07)
    European Touring Car Championship (‘04)
    British Renault Sport Spider (‘99)
    British F1 Hillclimbing (‘95)
  •  
  • J. Johnson
  • NASCAR Nextel Cup (‘06, ‘07)
  •  
  • S. Bourdais
  • Champ Car World Series ( ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07)
    International Formula 3000 (‘02)
    French Formula 3 (‘99)
  •  
  • M. Ekström
  • DTM - German Touring Car Championship (‘04, ‘07)
    Swedish Touring Car Championship (‘99)
    Renault 5 Junior Cup (‘96)
  •  
  • T. Pastrana
  • Rally America Championship (‘06, ‘07)
    World Freestyle (‘98)
  •  
  • M. Grönholm
  • FIA World Rally Championship (‘00, ‘02)
    Finnish Rally Championship
    (‘91-Class N, ‘94, ‘96, ‘97, ‘98)
  •  
  • Y. Muller
  • British Touring Car Championship (‘03)
    French Supertourisme (‘95)
    British Formula 2 (‘92)

Editors’ Notes

Copyright-free hi-res photos are available to download at www.raceofchampions.com or by calling Andy Bothwell or Paul Rayner at Performance PR on +44 (0)208 5413434. Alternatively you can E-mail andyb@performancepr.com or paul@performancepr.com.

The Race of Champions was started in 1988 by Fredrik Johnsson and Michèle Mouton, the world’s most successful female rally driver.

The Race Of Champions event on December 14 will be made up of two separate competitions – The ROC Nations Cup and The Race of Champions.

Each competition pits drivers against each other in a head-to-head knockout format, with equal equipment ensuring races are won and lost on talent alone.

The ROC Nations Cup features drivers paired into teams based on their nationality. The teams then fight head-to-head against each other in knockout competition. Last year Team Germany (Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel) beat Team Finland (Marcus Grönholm and Heikki Kovalainen) in the final.

The Race Of Champions is a straightforward knockout competition, where 16 drivers go head-to-head until the champion is decided. In last year’s Final, Mattias Ekström beat Michael Schumacher in the third race of a best-of-three battle.

Already confirmed for The Race of Champions 2008 are:

  • Seven-times F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher (Team Germany)
  • Triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (Team Autosport Great Britain)
  • Honda Racing F1 Team race winner Jenson Button (Team Autosport Great Britain)
  • Toro Rosso F1 racer Sebastian Vettel (Team Germany)

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For media enquiries call +44(0)208 5413434 or email andyb@peformancepr.com or paul@performancepr.com
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