Watch ROC 2011 live on the web – for free
The Race Of Champions is an annual end-of-season competition that brings together the world’s greatest drivers from all motor sport’s disciplines – including Formula 1, world rally, touring cars, Le Mans and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a specially constructed parallel track.
Saturday night (December 3) features the ROC Nations Cup from 1900-2200 CET (1800-2100 GMT) while Sunday afternoon (December 4) has the individual Race Of Champions itself from 1400-1700 CET (1300-1600 GMT).
The stream will be available on both days at websites www.raceofchampions.com and www.freecaster.tv, which has streamed the Race Of Champions live for the last three years (including Wembley and Beijing). Commentary will be in English by John Hindhaugh and Bruce Jones.
Coverage of the event will also be available on television via a range of outlets round the world, including SAT1 in Germany and Motors TV throughout Europe.
Further details can be found at www.raceofchampions.com, where tickets are also still available with prices starting at 19 Euros. Sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, @raceofchampions on Twitter, or Race Of Champions on Facebook.
The 2011 Race Of Champions will be streamed LIVE on the web this weekend (December 3-4). Moreover, this year it will be provided as a free service.
The Race Of Champions is an annual end-of-season competition that brings together the world’s greatest drivers from all motor sport’s disciplines – including Formula 1, world rally, touring cars, Le Mans and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a specially constructed parallel track.
Saturday night (December 3) features the ROC Nations Cup from 1900-2200 CET (1800-2100 GMT) while Sunday afternoon (December 4) has the individual Race Of Champions itself from 1400-1700 CET (1300-1600 GMT).
The stream will be available on both days at websites www.raceofchampions.com and www.freecaster.tv, which has streamed the Race Of Champions live for the last three years (including Wembley and Beijing). Commentary will be in English by John Hindhaugh and Bruce Jones.
Coverage of the event will also be available on television via a range of outlets round the world, including SAT1 in Germany and Motors TV throughout Europe.
Further details can be found at www.raceofchampions.com, where tickets are also still available with prices starting at 19 Euros. Sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, @raceofchampions on Twitter, or Race Of Champions on Facebook.
The stage is set for a thrilling Race Of Champions following the draw for the opening group stages for this weekend’s event at Düsseldorf’s ESPRIT arena. The stadium will play host to the ROC Nations Cup on Saturday December 3 followed by the Race Of Champions itself on Sunday December 4.
A dazzling line-up of motor sport stars including current Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel and seven-time title winner Michael Schumacher featured in the draw made at the stadium by F1 grand prix winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen and DTM racer Timo Scheider (pictured alongside Patrik Meyer of German promoter TSP and ROC race organizer Fredrik Johnsson).
The drivers are split into groups of four for a round-robin first stage, with the stars of world motor sport going head to head for two-lap races on a parallel track for the right to participate in the knockout stages.
The draw has set up some exciting duels, with Schumacher lined up to battle with fellow F1 world champion Jenson Button – along with X-Games great Brian Deegan and rally ace Jan Kopecký. Vettel faces another tough group with Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen, fellow F1 driver Vitaly Petrov and GP2 champion Romain Grosjean.
Race Of Champions (Sunday December 4)
Group A
Filipe ALBUQUERQUE, DTM star and reigning ROC Champion of Champions
Andy PRIAULX, three-time World Touring Car Champion
David COULTHARD, winner of 13 Formula 1 grands prix
Travis PASTRANA, four-time Rally America winner and X-Games legend
Group B
Mattias EKSTROM, DTM star and triple ROC Champion of Champions
Martin TOMCZYK, 2011 DTM Champion
Jan KOPECK�, three-time Intercontinental Rally Challenge runner-up
Sébastien OGIER, winner of five WRC rallies in 2011
Group C
Michael SCHUMACHER, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion
Jenson BUTTON, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion
Brian DEEGAN, 13 X-games medals including Rally Cross gold in 2011
Juho HÄNNINEN, 2011 S-WRC champion and 2010 IRC champion
Group D
Sebastian VETTEL, 2010 and 2011 Formula 1 World Champion
Tom KRISTENSEN, eight-time Le Mans 24-Hour race winner
Vitaly PETROV, Formula 1 driver for Lotus Renault GP
Romain GROSJEAN, 2011 GP2 Series Champion
The action begins on Saturday evening with the ROC Nations Cup, when home heroes Schumacher and Vettel aim for an incredible fifth consecutive title together for Team Germany. The German pair will again go up against Button and triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx as they have been drawn against Team GB, the runners-up for the past two years.
ROC Nations Cup (Saturday December 3)
Group A
Team France (Sébastien OGIER & Romain GROSJEAN)
Team Nordic (Tom KRISTENSEN & Juho HÄNNINEN)
Team USA (Travis PASTRANA & Brian DEEGAN)
SAT1 Team Germany 2 (Timo GLOCK & Timo SCHEIDER)
Group B
Team Germany (Michael SCHUMACHER & Sebastian VETTEL)
Team Slavic (Vitaly PETROV & Jan KOPECK�)
Team Great Britain (Jenson BUTTON & Andy PRIAULX)
Team All Stars (David COULTHARD & Filipe ALBUQUERQUE)
Speaking after the draw, Frentzen said: “Taking a look at the groups I have to say the crowds will definitely see several very interesting duels: F1 stars against rally aces, DTM drivers against sportscar stars. It couldn’t have worked out much better so the spectators can already look forward to a lot of thrilling race action."
Frentzen will himself take part in a special ROC Legends Cup race on Sunday alongside fellow German F1 veteran Hans-Joachim Stuck plus former European rally champion Marc Duez and 1984 world rally champion Stig Blomqvist. Swedish legend Blomqvist is a replacement for F1’s Jos Verstappen, who was forced to pull out due to a late clash of commitments.
As well as a stellar driver line-up, the Race Of Champions features an impressive array of vehicles including the powerful Audi R8 LMS, VW Scirocco and Skoda Fabia Super 2000 rally car. They will run alongside ROC favorites such as the ROC car, KTM X-Bow, World Touring Racecar and the RX150 buggy.
There is a full program of entertainment featuring the Red Bull FMX show, Chris Pfeiffer Streetbike Freestyle Rider and stunt driver Terry Grant’s world record attempt for driving on two wheels. Newly-signed Volkswagen World Rally Championship driver Sébastien Ogier will also do a demonstration run in the all-new VW Polo WRC car.
Tickets are still available from www.raceofchampions.com with prices starting at 19 Euros. Sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, @raceofchampions on Twitter or Race Of Champions on Facebook.