Category | Racing and Rally |
---|---|
Country | International |
Inaugural season | 1988 |
Drivers | 20 (2022) |
Teams | 10 (2022) |
Drivers' champion | Mattias Ekström |
Teams' champion | Norway |
Official website | raceofchampions.com |
Current season |
The Race of Champions (ROC) is an international motorsport event held at the start or end of each year, featuring some of the world's best racing and rally drivers from Formula One, World Rally Championship, IndyCar, NASCAR, sports car racing, touring car racing, and motorcycle racing, who compete against each other in identical cars.
The race was first organised in 1988 by former rally driver Michèle Mouton and Fredrik Johnsson, IMP (International Media Productions) President. Originally the event was a competition between the world's best rally drivers, but has since expanded to include top competitors from most other motorsport disciplines.
The top individual overall in the Race Of Champions is given the title "Champion of Champions" and receives the Henri Toivonen Memorial Trophy. The ROC Nations' Cup was added in 1999 and now features teams of two drivers who compete for their country.
The event has taken place in several venues, including 12 years on Gran Canaria from 1992 to 2003. From 2004 to 2019, the event was held in major sporting stadiums, including the Stade de France in Paris, Wembley Stadium in London, the Beijing National Stadium, Düsseldorf's ESPRIT arena, the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Olympic Stadium, the Marlins Park in Miami, the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, and the Foro Sol in Mexico City. However in 2014, the event was held at the Bushy Park circuit in Barbados, and the 2022 edition was held on a frozen Baltic Sea in northern Sweden.