Race of Champions Press Release
- Three-time ROC ‘Champion of Champions’ Mattias Ekström will return to the Race Of Champions at Bangkok in December
- The Swedish DTM driver has twice defeated F1 great Michael Schumacher in the ROC Grand Final
- Ekström joins a 2013 line-up that includes Schumacher, Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen, four-time V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup and new World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier
- Tickets are now available from the website www.raceofchampions.com
Triple ROC ‘Champion of Champions’ Mattias Ekström will make a return to the Race Of Champions at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on December 14-15.
The Swede has won two DTM championships for Audi in 2004 and 2007 and
he still competes in the German touring car series. But he has also appeared in
eight WRC rallies and raced in Nascar. This year Ekström has spread his wings
yet further with a successful appearance in the legendary V8 Supercar race at
Bathurst, even leading the field at one point. He also raced strongly in the
X-Games in Munich and took second place on his European Rallycross debut in his
home country.
Such a rare mix of driving skill makes Ekström a maestro at the Race Of
Champions, where he has won the overall ‘Champion of Champions’ title no less
than three times, all in different stadia. In 2006 Ekström beat home hero
Sébastien Loeb in his own rally car at the Stade de France in Paris before twice
defeating Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher in the Grand Final – first at
London’s Wembley Stadium in 2007 then at Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic
Stadium in 2009. If he can repeat the feat in Bangkok he will equal Didier
Auriol’s all-time record of four ROC triumphs. Ekström has also partnered Le
Mans legend Tom Kristensen to ROC Nations Cup glory for Team Scandinavia in
2005 and the duo will now be reunited in Bangkok.
Ekström said: “I have many happy memories from the Race Of Champions
and I’m delighted to be back this year – and to be teaming up with Tom again.
It’s always a pleasure to race against the world’s best drivers and I’ve had
some strong results down the years. What helps me is that I’ve been lucky to
race many good touring cars, sportscars and rally cars but everyone knows it is
a unique event. You have two minutes to show what you can do – and if you do it
spotlessly you go further. I once won a race by a thousandth of a second: with
margins like that you also need luck.”
Race organiser Fredrik Johnsson said: “Mattias is one of the most
successful drivers in the history of the Race Of Champions. So it is great for
us to have him back in the field – and he will again start as one of the
favourites for success as he bids to equal ROC’s all-time record. He and Tom
will make up a formidable partnership in the ROC Nations Cup too and we hope to
see a big crowd cheering them all on in Bangkok.”
Held every year since 1988, the Race Of Champions brings together the
world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s main disciplines – including
Formula 1, World Rally, Le Mans, MotoGP, Nascar, IndyCar, Touring Cars and the
X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.
ROC 2013 will take place on a specially constructed tarmac track with
two parallel lanes winding their way round Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium.
Drivers pair up for the ROC Nations Cup, this year scheduled for Saturday 14
December, ahead of the individual Race Of Champions on Sunday 15 December.
ROC features stars from all over the world: along with Schumacher and
Kristensen, four-time V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup and 2013 World Rally
Champion Sébastien Ogier have already signed up and the rest of the field will
be announced in the run-up to December’s event.
Tickets are now available from www.raceofchampions.com where you can
also find further information, media accreditation (closing date November 15)
and access to high-resolution imagery. Sign up for all the latest updates at
www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions and
the hashtag #BangROC on Twitter.
Photo credit: Race of Champions
