Image courtesy RaceOfChampions.com

One of my favorite events over the last couple of years has been the Race of Champions, an international showcase of driving talent featuring some of the world’s greatest race car drivers. This year, the course will be staged at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing (host of the 2008 Olympics). It will be the first time the event will be held outside of Europe.

News is out that Mattias Ekström, Tom Kristensen, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have all confirmed their entries in the event. Vettel and Schumacher are defending champions of the Cup of Nations, while Button looks likely to take home this year’s Formula One driver’s title.

“It’s always a great event, it’s great for the fans but it’s especially good for all of us competitors,” said Button in a ROC press release.

“It’s pretty intense; it’s great to have so many different competitors from around the world. Really it’s a great end-of-season event to just chill out and enjoy yourself and I’m looking forward to this year because the Bird’s Nest is a pretty amazing stadium, it’s going to be a lot bigger than before, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The stadium stage has been designed by Michele Mouton. Construction will begin in late September.

There is no news as to who will join the American team, but last year’s entrants, Carl Edwards and Tanner Foust, have yet to confirm. Pastrana has received the invitation over the last few years, and if he’s healthy, I’d put my money on him for another invite. We’ve had a different team almost every year. Jeff Gordon, Casey Mears and Jimmie Johnson are also previous contenders.

I’d love our team to drop the NASCAR driver and bring up someone who races open-wheel or road courses, but that doesn’t seem possible. NASCAR is our country’s most followed form of racing, after all…

Left. Left. Left. Left. Lap.

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