Drifting is one of the coolest things you can experience behind the wheel of a car. Going for it on ice or snow is just as fun, and it won't destroy your tires in the process. Also, you won't need that much power to get sideways. It has been a few years since I've pushed the limits of a Volvo V60 T8 in Lulea, Sweden, and it's quite an addictive feeling to experience. So I can't help but get all hyped up about the 2023 edition of the Race of Champions.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if drivers from various motorsports would go head-to-head on the same track? Just imagine Formula 1, NASCAR, WRC, and IndyCar all together in one place. Well, someone decided to bring that dream to life almost 30 years ago.
The name Michele Mouton might ring a bell if you have been following the World Rally Championship in the '70s or '80s. And she was one of the people to kickstart this kind of racing format. If you've never seen one of these events, you'll be excited to discover them even at this stage.
The list of drivers that have taken part in the ROC before is legendary, to say the least. Just think Walter Rohrl, Tommi Makinen, Carlos Sainz, Colin McRae, Sebastien Loeb, Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, and the list goes on and on.
The location of the event has moved around quite a bit, including countries like Spain, the United Kingdom, Thailand, China, and Germany. As we just witnessed the development of the F1 Mexico City Grand Prix a few days ago, it's worth noting that the Race of Champions took place at Foro Sol inside the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 2019.
Photo: Race of Champions
The most recent event unfolded in Pitea, Sweden, in February of this year. It's not even surprising to see that Sebastien Loeb won this challenge, but you might be shocked to see that Sebastian Vettel came in second.
Meanwhile, the Solberg family won the Nations Cup for Norway, while Jarno Opmeer dominated the virtual side of the Race of Champions. This was the first time in the history of the ROC that it was held on a track covered in snow and ice. And it seems that they're going for the same strategy in 2023.
The event is set to go live at Pite Havsbad on the 28th and 29th of January next year. Drivers will be teaming up on day one for the Nations Cup, but they will be leaving camaraderie aside on day two in the race to become Champion of Champions.
The list of participants is already starting to look pretty good, with seven officially announced drivers so far. Father and son, the Solberg family, will be there again. Petter has raced in ROC six times before, having won one individual race and two Nations cups before.
Photo: Race of Champions
You could say that Sebastian Vettel is a ROC legend, with 10 previous participations, which include one Champion of Champions title and seven Nations Cup victories as well. But he will be facing a tough challenge from not one but two Finnish F1 drivers: Mika Hakkinen and Valtteri Bottas. Alfa Romeo's driver was set to take part in the ROC this year, too but had to withdraw from the event last minute.
Now he's ready to join the legendary Hakkinen in an attempt to bring back the title to Finland after almost 16 years. The last drivers to win it for the Baltic State were Heikki Kovalainen and Marcus Grönholm in 2006!
But given the nature of the track, it's likely that an experienced rally driver will stand a better chance at clinching the title in 2023. We'll leave you with a short video of the final race between Loeb and Vettel, which should give you a pretty good idea about the format of these events.
ROC Nations Cup teams don't get any cooler than this! ????????
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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