Bradley Philpot has beaten Des Foley to win the ROC Factor competition ahead of this weekend’s Race of Champions event at the former Olympic Stadium in London.
Philpot and Foley, who reached the final following a public vote between ten drivers, fought it out in a ROC Skills Challenge drive-off this afternoon, with former Red Bull UK Kart Fight champion Philpot emerging victorious.
With an injury for 2015 MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo forcing his late entry from the event, Philpot will now be entered in his place into Saturday’s competition, taking on motorbike legend Mick Doohan in the opening round.
Lorenzo has withdrawn after suffering second degree burns whilst celebrating his MotoGP success, with his place in Team All Stars alongside Romain Grosjean for the Nations Cup being taken by 2015 ELMS LMP3 champion and Olympic cycling hero Sir Chris Hoy.
“I’m really sad that I cannot go to the Race of Champions this year, but during the celebrations in Mallorca I burned my leg on the bike,” Lorenzo explained. “I really hoped it would heal by now but due to potential complications, the doctors have forbidden me to do it.”
Hoy added: “I’m really excited to get this late call-up. I don’t expect to be as fast as the real professionals but I’ll do my very best. I’ll try to put on a show for the fans in the stadium in London tomorrow.”
The full draw for Saturday’s individual competition is:
Round 1
Match A – Jose Maria Lopez v Ryan Hunter-Reay
Match B – Pascal Wehrlein v Andy Priaulx
Match C – Mick Doohan v Bradley Philpot
Match D – Alex Buncombe v Jolyon Palmer
Quarter Finals
Sebastian Vettel v Petter Solberg
Daniel Ricciardo v Nick Hulkenberg
Jenson Button v Felipe Massa
David Coulthard v Susie Wolff
Tom Kristensen v Nelson Piquet Jnr
Romain Grosjean v Jason Plato
Winner Match A v Winner Match B
Winner Match C v Winner Match D
The full draw for Friday’s Nations Cup contest is:
Round 1
Match A – Team All Stars v Team Young Stars (Grosjean v Wehrlein, Philpot v Palmer)
Match B – Team England 1 v Team Brazil (Priaulx v Piquet Jnr, Plato v Massa)
Quarter Finals
Team Nordic v Team Americas (Kristensen v Lopez, Solberg v Hunter-Reay)
Team Australia v Team Germany (Ricciardo v Vettel, Doohan v Hulkenberg)
Team England 2 v Team Scotland (Buncombe v Wolff, Button v Coulthard)
Winner Match A v Winner Match B
