18/09/2006
NEWS STORY
Jenson Button is to make his debut in the Race of Champions, scheduled to take place on December 16 at the Stade de France in Paris.
Unlike previous years there will not be a British team, instead Button will represent England, while David Coulthard and Colin McRae will represent Scotland.
Also confirmed are 2005 winner Sébastien Loeb (France)and 2004 winner Heikki Kovalainen (Finland), in addition to Jimmie Johnson and Travis Pastrana (both USA), Tom Kristensen and Mattias Ekstrom.
Loeb, 2005 Race of Champions winner and provisional leader of the 2006 Drivers' World Rally Championship, became the first driver in WRC history to notch up the score of 27 world class wins in Japan earlier in September: "I'm going to give everything I've got to defend my 2005 Champion of Champions title and why not even help secure the Nations Cup again for France after our win in 2004! I'm really looking forward to this year's event. The atmosphere is electric; you can really feel the 60,000 spectators cheering you on! For me, it's a highpoint at the end of the season."
"I relish the chance to re-start the battle between the two great nations Scotland and England in the ROC-Nations Cup. For the first time we will have teams from both countries in the competition and I am sure it will be something really special," added David Coulthard. "I recommend everyone to mark December 16 down in their diaries! The Race of Champions is a unique opportunity for drivers from motor sport's biggest series around the globe to meet and compete together. The track and the variety of racing and rally cars we get to drive suits some better than others, but that's all part of the charm."
"I'm really looking forward to my first Race of Champions," admitted Button. "I have never previously been able to attend but I am told by my fellow competitors that it's a great event and lots of fun."
News concerning the names of their challengers will be announced as they are confirmed, while the promise of a landmark showdown between Scotland and England – the first in the history of the ROC-Nations Cup – is sure to be a major draw for British race and rally fans.