Four-time V8 Supercar champion Jamie Whincup will return to the Race of Champions this December in Bangkok, Thailand.
Whincup, who currently leads the 2013 V8 Supercar championship by over 100 points, became the first Australian V8 racer to appear at the Race of Champions in 2012, making it to the semi-finals of the Nations Cup alongside 500cc MotoGP legend Mick Doohan. The duo lost out in the semi-final to eventual winners Team Germany, made up of F1 legend Michael Schumacher and soon-to-be five time Formula 1 World Champion, Sebastien Vettel.
“I couldn’t be happier to compete at the Race Of Champions again,” said Whincup. “I really enjoyed my time in Bangkok last year and will use the experience I learnt in my rookie year to be more competitive this year. My biggest weakness last year was getting my head around a left-hand-drive car so I am already on the lookout for a car here in Australia to gain some extra practice.”
The 2013 Race of Champions will take place at a specially constructed tarmac circuit within Bangkok’s Rajamangala, with the ROC Nations Cup scheduled for Saturday 14 December, with the individual Race of Champions taking place on Sunday 15 December.
Joining Whincup at the 2013 event will be Schumacher, World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier and nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. The rest of the field will be announced in the run-up to the event.
“It is fantastic to have Jamie back at the Race Of Champions after his debut last year,” said race organiser Fredrik Johnsson. “He is the first V8 Supercar champion to join us and his recent domination of the series shows just what an exceptional driver he is. We hope plenty of Aussie V8 fans will make the journey to Bangkok to cheer their main man on against all the other greats assembling from the world of motor sport.”
