Mick Doohan heads to ROC 2014
Five-time 500cc MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan will compete at next month’s Race Of Champions in Barbados.
Doohan will also partner newly-crowned six-time V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup for Team Australia in the ROC Nations Cup
The ROC 2014 field now features greats from Formula 1, MotoGP, Le Mans, World Rally, IndyCar, NASCAR, Rallycross, V8 Supercar and Touring Cars
Tickets are now available via www.raceofchampions.com for ROC 2014, to be held at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14
Australian motorcycle legend Mick Doohan, one of the greatest riders in the history of two-wheeled sport, will compete at the 2014 Race Of Champions at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14.
Doohan dominated his sport in the Nineties, collecting a haul of over 50 wins and five straight 500cc MotoGP world championships for Honda from 1994 to 1998. This run was sandwiched by two serious crashes, the second of which broke his leg in several places and ended his competitive career.
The Australian can handle four wheels too: indeed he once tested a Williams F1 car and he has proved his ability at five previous Race Of Champions appearances. He took three wins in 2012 and reached the individual quarter-finals before falling to F1 legend Michael Schumacher. Now Doohan will be back competing in Barbados next month, where he will also partner V8 Supercar great Jamie Whincup (who sealed his own sixth championship on Sunday) for Team Australia in the ROC Nations Cup.
Doohan and Whincup join a ROC 2014 line-up featuring stars from all over the world: nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, F1’s Romain Grosjean (reigning ROC Champion of Champions) and Susie Wolff (Williams development driver), 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, NASCAR superstar Kurt Busch, 2014 FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, 2014 World Touring Car Champion José-Maria López and 2014 FIA European F3 Champion Esteban Ocon are already confirmed. The rest of the field will be announced in the run-up to next month’s event.
Doohan said: “I’m delighted to be coming back to the Race Of Champions and to be teaming up with Jamie again for Team Australia. Of course, having spent my racing career on two wheels, I’m under no illusions about how tough it is to face some of the world’s greatest drivers. But I’m not short of determination…
“I’ve got a kart circuit at home – and as soon as I received the call from Fredrik I went out to practise in my 600cc-engined buggy. I’ll keep that up as we get closer to next month’s event and who knows what can happen? Last time Jamie and I reached the semi-finals of the ROC Nations Cup and I’ll do my best to give those car specialists another shock or two in Barbados.”
ROC organiser Fredrik Johnsson added: “We are thrilled to have Mick in the line-up for the 2014 Race Of Champions. He is a true legend of his sport and he has plenty of skill on four wheels too, as his performances in 2012 proved. Not only did he help Team Australia to the ROC Nations Cup semi-finals, he also reached the individual quarter-finals. The men who defeated him were Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel so there’s no shame in that!
“Mick’s arrival also means we already have an amazing line-up for ROC 2014 that includes champions and greats from series including F1, MotoGP, Le Mans, World Rally, IndyCar, NASCAR, Rallycross, V8 Supercar and Touring Cars. We’re excited to see which of those varieties of motor sport produces the winner in Barbados and we hope the world’s race fans will enjoy cheering on their favourite driver and series.”
The Race Of Champions, which has been held for over 25 years, brings together the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a unique track with two parallel lanes linked by a crossover bridge.
Drivers already announced for the 2014 Race Of Champions
- Tom KRISTENSEN, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner
- Romain GROSJEAN, Lotus F1 Team driver, reigning ROC Champion of Champions
- Ryan HUNTER-REAY, Indianapolis 500 winner 2014, IndyCar Champion 2012
- Jamie WHINCUP, V8 Supercar Champion 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009, 2008
- Petter SOLBERG, FIA World Rallycross Champion 2014, FIA World Rally Champion 2003
- Susie WOLFF, development driver for the Williams F1 team
- Kurt BUSCH, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion 2004
- José-Maria LOPEZ, FIA World Touring Car Champion 2014
- Esteban OCON, FIA European F3 Champion 2014
- Mick DOOHAN, 500cc MotoGP World Champion 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994
