RoC track layout unveiled

RoC track layout in Wembley Stadium

Race of Champions organizers have revealed the track layout that will be used for this year's event at Wembley in December.

The layout is completely different from the one used in Paris in recent years, and the organizers are upbeat about the new design, which will feature off-camber corners due to the ground level around the edge of the arena.

Event co-founder Michele Mouton said: "We have tested the new layout and from that we can see that it will be very interesting.

"Working at Wembley will prevent some issues we haven't encountered before. The ground slopes away from the pitch and we have to work on this, which will be the main problem for me."

Work begins at the stadium in four weeks' time, and assistant race director Marc Dues believes that the camber will make the action more spectacular.

"We have four corners with opposite camber," he said. "It gives the cars certain roll, they have less grip than in a normal corner so we hope that it will provide even more spectacular racing."

“There’s been a lot of planning to this over the last couple of months," said FM Conway’s Contracts Director Brian Morris, who says a team of 40 men will work night and day to get the track ready in time. “We went to the Stade de France to see The Race of Champions last year so we know what we’re letting ourselves in for!"

The circuit design, which sees two lanes running parallel to allow drivers to race within the confines of the stadium, has been modified to account for Wembley's dimensions. “We have tested the new layout and from that we can see it will be very interesting," said Michèle Mouton, co-founder of The Race of Champions, who is still arguably the world’s most successful woman in motorsport after a glittering rally career in the 1980s.

"Working at Wembley will present some issues we haven’t encountered before. The ground slopes away from the pitch and we have to work on this camber, which will be the main problem this year for me."

Assistant Race Director, Marc Duez, thinks the camber will add drama to the racing. “We have four corners with opposite camber," said the Belgian former race and rally driver. “It gives the cars a certain roll; they have less grip than in a normal corner so we hope that it will provide even more spectacular racing!"

The Race of Champions is a unique motorsport format that sees drivers from all genres racing against each other in a stadium environment, allowing the expected 80,000 fans uninterrupted views of every second of action.

"Transforming Wembley Stadium into a proper tarmac race track in five days is a huge and costly project," said Fredrik Johnsson, President of event organizers IMP. "Just to re-lay the famous football pitch after The Race of Champions costs over £150,000, but the result is spectacular!"