Jack Giordmaina reports on the announcement of Indy Car and World Touring Car champions competing at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this week.
World Touring car champion José Maria López and Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay will race for Team Americas in the Race of Champions this weekend.
The announcement of the two drivers has set a new record for participants, as 20 drivers will tackle the track in the former London 2012 Olympic stadium.
Hunter-Reay won the famous Borg-Warner Trophy and the legendary bottle of milk as he triumphed in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time last year.
However, it was no easy ride for the American in the biggest single-day spectator event in world sport, with over 300,000 spectators.
After a six-lap closing battle with Brazil’s Helio Castroneves, Hunter-Reay sealed victory by just 0.06s, the second closest finish and the second fastest race in the history of the motor sport classic.
The American won the overall IndyCar Series title in 2012 and took two late victories this year, as part of a strong finish that sets him up perfectly for another assault on the crown in 2016.
Going into his third appearance at the race, Hunter-Reay is looking forward to do battle with the best drivers in the world in London.
“I’m delighted to be returning to the Race Of Champions for the third time. I’ve really enjoyed my first two appearances in Bangkok and Barbados.
“It’s great fun to go head-to-head with some of the best drivers from the top motorsport disciplines from around the world,” said Hunter-Reay on the Race of Champions website.
Dominated
López is still revelling in his second WTCC triumph, sealed with victory in Thailand earlier this month.
Despite strong competition from world-famous Citroën teammates Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb, López has dominated each of the last two years, winning both titles with races to spare.
López has also been a test driver for the Renault F1 team and he was even lined up to race for the USF1 team that ultimately failed to make the grid in 2010.
Lopez will enter his second year at the tournament and is hopeful that he can carry his strong momentum into the Race of Champions.
“This has been another great year for me and this invitation to the Race Of Champions is the perfect way to cap it off.
“This year the pressure was on and the competition with my teammates was harder than ever, so to win the championship three races early was an amazing,” said Lopez on the Race of Champions website.
The Nations Cup will get underway on Friday at the Olympic Park stadium in Stratford.