The next Race Of Champions will be decided inside Miami’s Marlins Baseball Park on January 21-22nd, 2017. This will be the Race of Champions first ever appearance in the United States. Other ROC events have taken place at venues in Bangkok, Barbados and London’s former Olympic Stadium. The Four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel will defend his Race of Champions title that he captured in London last year.
Marlins Park is the home of the Miami Marlins, one of Florida’s Major League Baseball franchises. The stadium was built in 2012 and boasts a retractable roof. Furthermore, the venue seats over 37,000 fans who will have the chance to enjoy racing’s best compete for the title of Champion Of Champions. The cozy ballpark is also set to host the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game next July.
Florida’s racing enthusiasts will have an opportunity to watch the fastest action Marlins Park has ever hosted. The planet’s finest racers will go all out on a specially-constructed tarmac track that will wind its way through the outfield and infield.
The talented field will also feature popular American drivers. Former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch and IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will compete in Miami. Plenty more speedsters will be announced prior to the Race Of Champions event.
The Race Of Champions has been ran for over 25 years. The annual event brings together some of the world’s most talented drivers from many racing disciplines. Some of the popular series represented are Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Le Mans, and the X Games. All the racing gladiators battle head-to-head in identical machinery.
As a result of many years of trying, Germany’s Sebastian Vettel took his first Race Of Champions title in London last year. The European speedster will return to defend his crown in Miami against the best drivers from all over the world.
“I’m very happy to have finally won the individual Race Of Champions title last year in London’s Olympic Stadium. Furthermore, I look forward to defending my title at the Race Of Champions in Miami.” Vettel stated. “All the drivers are strong, and the top US drivers from NASCAR and IndyCar will certainly be extra motivated to win in front of their home fans. This will also be the first time ROC has been held in a baseball venue so I’m curious to discover the new track layout. But as always it’s the same track and identical cars for everyone so only driver skill makes the difference. The racing at ROC is always very intense and the head-to-head duels often decided by fractions of a second. It’s comes down to one strategy; flat-out from start to finish!”
The first American drivers to register for the ROC in Miami have been announced. Former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, driver of the #41 Monster Energy Chevrolet and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. Busch commented on his chance to race in Miami.
“I’m honored to once again be invited to the Race Of Champions. I had a great time last time out in Barbados. This year’s event will be in the US, that will make it that much more exciting.” Busch said. “In addition, representing the U.S. in my country will be special. The ROC is a particular challenge that tests versatility and adaptability with little margin for error. If the format was not challenging enough, you throw in World Champions from all kinds of disciplines. There are various types of cars, which makes for a good recipe. And no matter how much we all like to say it’s ‘just for fun’ we all want to win this prestigious event.”
Both veterans have fine resumes’ of their own in the Race Of Champions contest. In Barbados in 2014, Kurt Busch and Hunter-Reay won their matches with ease. Both racers collected three wins out of three races on their way to the quarter-finals.
The Race Of Champions takes place over two days. The Race Of Champions itself comes first on Saturday, January 21st. It will be a flat-out battle for individual glory. The ROC Nations Cup fires off the next day. The Nation’s Cup is when drivers pair up in teams based on nationality to race for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’. All the racing in Marlins Park will be in settled in a variety of high-end race cars.
