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ROC at Wembley

Priaulx returns to The Race of Champions

  • Britain’s Triple FIA World Champion signs up for December event
  • Priaulx joins Jenson Button in Team GB for The ROC Nations Cup

Andy Priaulx demonstrated his WTCC BMW at The Race of Champions in 2007
Andy Priaulx demonstrated his WTCC BMW at The Race of Champions in 2007

Andy Priaulx, Britain’s reigning three-times FIA World Touring Car Champion, has signed up to compete at The Race of Champions 2008, when the star-studded event returns to Wembley Stadium on Sunday, December 14.

The announcement comes in advance of the ‘home’ fixture of Priaulx’s season, with the FIA World Touring Car Championship landing on British soil at Brands Hatch this weekend. Priaulx will be looking to repeat last year’s feats around the Kent circuit, where he secured one of his all-important race victories of 2007.

Dubbed the ‘Schumacher of touring cars’, Priaulx presided over F1 ace Heikki Kovalainen and French WTCC star Yvan Muller in The 2007 Race of Champions before being eliminated in the semi-finals by the man whose sporting pre-eminence he is now seeking to emulate, seven-times F1 World Champion, Michael Schumacher.

Guernseyman Priaulx is confident about turning the tables this year should he be paired again with the German maestro:

“Michael is a tough competitor and we have a lot of respect for each other but when the lights go out there will be no holding us back. It’s fun, yes, but of course I want to win.”

The BMW Team UK driver, who currently lies in fourth place in this year’s WTCC standings, will renew his ROC Nations Cup partnership with Honda Racing’s F1 star, Jenson Button, as Autosport Team GB, one of two British pairings in this year’s competition.

Once again, it was the Germans who put a halt to Priaulx and Button’s progress in 2007 Nations Cup, with the duo of Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel proving too strong in the semi-finals.

Wembley Stadium will become a race track for the weekend
Wembley Stadium will become a race track for the weekend

“It was frustrating to get so close but not to make either final last year,” said Priaulx. “Competing at Wembley was incredible. They say the support of a home crowd gives you an extra second a lap, you can really feel them egging you on, the noise is phenomenal.”

“The Race of Champions brings together the world’s top drivers and Andy is undoubtedly one of the toughest,” said Fredrik Johnsson, President of event organisers, IMP. “The level of competition in the World Touring Car Championship is so intense, it is an amazing feat for him to have scored a hat-trick of world titles. We are thrilled that Andy will be racing at Wembley with us again this year.”

Tickets for the event are on sale now by calling 0844 412 1743, or online at www.raceofchampions.com. Adult prices start at £14.40 (including a 20% discount available until 31 July) and children can get in for as little as £9.

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:

  • Eight-times Le Mans 24 Hour Winner Tom Kristensen (Team Scandinavia)
  • Seven-times F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher (Team Germany)
  • Four-times World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb (Team France)
  • Triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (Team Autosport Great Britain)
  • Double Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss (Team Australia)
  • Double DTM Champion and two-times Race of Champions winner Mattias Ekström (Team Scandinavia)
  • Honda Racing F1 Team race winner Jenson Button (Team Autosport Great Britain)
  • Red Bull Racing F1's Mark Webber (Team Australia)
  • 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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