Two-time NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, will face the man widely billed as one of the world's greatest drivers, Michael Schumacher, in The Race of Champions this weekend.
The Team USA driver, who faces the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion in the first round of The ROC Nations Cup, says he has the greatest respect for the European superstar, which motivates him all the more to snatch victory for The United States.
"Everyone recognizes Schumacher as a champion, and after winning my second straight championship in NASCAR I hope I'm perceived in that way," said Johnson, who took the NASCAR title this season with 10 wins in the Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. "Beating him and helping Team USA win The ROC Nations Cup would be a perfect ending to the best year of my career."
The ROC Nations Cup aims to determine the fastest country in the world, with two drivers from each pitted against each other in identical cars. This year The Race of Champions is being held at Wembley Stadium, London, England, and the famous landmark has been transformed into a parallel track, using 1,800 tons of tarmac, for the unique event this Sunday.
"I've raced The ROC before and did OK," said Johnson, who won The ROC Nations Cup in 2002. "My team-mate, Travis Pastrana, was the unexpected success of the event last year, almost winning the whole thing single-handedly after I pulled out with an injury. That's got to give us the edge this year!"
The ROC Nations Cup draw resulted in the following pairings:
France : Sébastien Bourdais Vs Norway: Henning Solberg
France : Yvan Muller Vs Norway : Petter Solberg
Finland : Heikki Kovalainen Vs Scandinavia : Tom Kristensen
Finland : Marcus Grönholm Vs Scandinavia : Mattias Ekström
Scotland : David Coulthard Vs England : Jenson Button
Scotland : Alister McRae Vs England : Andy Priaulx
USA : Jimmie Johnson Vs Germany : Michael Schumacher
USA : Travis Pastrana Vs Germany : Sebastian Vettel
The ROC Nations Cup will begin about 9 a.m. on Sunday with The Race of Champions starting at 2p.m. EST. All the action will be shown live on The ROC website, www.raceofchampions.com/live
Drivers taking part are:
* Seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher
* Formula One star Jenson Button
* Triple and reigning World Touring Car Champion, Andy Priaulx
* Red Bull Racing's David Coulthard
* Scuderia Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel
* Four-time Champ Car Champion Sébastien Bourdais
* Seven-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen
* Two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekström
* Two-time and reigning NASCAR Champion Jimmie Johnson
* Eight-time X-Games Champion Travis Pastrana
* Double World Rally Champion, Marcus Grönholm
* Renault F1's Heikki Kovalainen
* 1995 British Rally Champion Alister McRae
* World Touring Car Championship star Yvan Muller
* 2003 World Rally Champion, Petter Solberg
* Five-time Norwegian Rally Champion, Henning Solberg
This traditional end-of-season showdown attracts spectators from across Europe. For three years the event, held at the Stade de France in Paris, has attracted well over 50,000 spectators each year.
Action from The Race of Champions 2006 was broadcast in over 200 countries and watched by more than 186 million viewers.
From GMRLIVE
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