Robby Gordon brings his Stadium Super Trucks to ROC
One of the most versatile drivers in the world and experienced in everything from sports cars to trucks, Gordon has competed in a range of series including NASCAR, CART, IndyCar, Trans-Am, IMSA and the Dakar Rally. The American raced for over 20 years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, taking three wins and 39 top-tens. In addition he has had three top-five finishes in the Indianapolis 500.
Gordon has also taken four Baja 500 victories, three Baja 1000 victories and seven SCORE International off-road championships. He has now become a regular stage winner on the brutal Dakar Rally, where he will again be competing early in 2015.
For the last two years Gordon has also won the championship in the SPEED Energy Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS in one of his spectacular Stadium Super Trucks. These mighty trucks have to be seen to be believed – which is fortunate for the crowds heading to Bushy Park Barbados as they will now be one of the vehicles in competitive action at the Race Of Champions itself.
Gordon will pair up with 2014 World Touring Car Champion Jose-Maria 'Pechito' Lopez for Team Americas in the ROC Nations Cup, a duo that is sure to set pulses racing. At Gordon's first Race Of Champions in 2001 he broke the lap record around the event's long-time home at Gran Canaria, setting a mark that still stands today. He also rolled his car within sight of victory against that year's eventual ROC Champion of Champions Harri Rovanperä.
This time Gordon and Lopez will be part of a ROC 2014 line-up featuring greats from all over the world: nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, 2014 FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, Formula 1's reigning ROC Champion of Champions Romain Grosjean, 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, V8 Supercar legend Jamie Whincup, five-time 500cc MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan, 13-time F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard, 2014 FIA European F3 Champion Esteban Ocon, Williams F1 test driver Susie Wolff and 2014 GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer will all be racing in Barbados.
Gordon said: "It's cool to get the opportunity to come back to the Race Of Champions again and to compete against guys like my brother-in-law Ryan Hunter-Reay (who is married to Robby's sister Beccy) and Tom Kristensen. Tom was there with me back at my first ROC in 2001 so it will be fun to go back and race against him again to see where my skills stack up 13 years later. I'm also looking forward to teaming up with Pechito on Team Americas – especially having spent so much time in Argentina at the Dakar Rally in recent years.
"It's cool that we'll get to introduce the trucks to everybody as well. It will be a first for some drivers but we'll set up an adjustable ramp for the guys. I can change the pitch angle according to what the drivers and the officials like but these things have been known to jump 20 or 30 feet off the ground for the length of a football field so either way it will be exciting…"
ROC organiser Fredrik Johnsson added: "Robby is one of the most colorful figures in world motor sport and I've no doubt he'll be in the thick of the action at next week's Race Of Champions. At his last ROC appearance in 2001 he rolled one car, pulled off another spectacular save and set a lap record round our Gran Canaria circuit that still stands… talk about giving the fans value for money!
"But if that sounds good, just wait till you see his Stadium Super Trucks, which are sure to put a smile on the faces of everyone watching – and everyone driving as well. We have greats racing from Formula 1, Le Mans, MotoGP, IndyCar, NASCAR, World Rallycross and Touring Cars but I bet none of them have driven anything like this…"
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. The ROC weekend features over 60 individual duels.
Tickets for ROC 2014 are available at www.bushyparkcircuitinc.com/roc-tickets. For access to high-resolution imagery please visit www.raceofchampions.com. Sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions and #ROCBarbados on Twitter.
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, official test driver for the Williams F1 team
- Kurt BUSCH, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion 2004
- Jose-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
- David COULTHARD, 13-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
- Jolyon PALMER, FIA GP2 Series Champion 2014
- Robby GORDON, Seven-time Off-road Champion, three-time Baja 1000 winner