The Indian team performed really well at the inaugural Race of Champions Asia, which was held in Bangkok in the year 2012. Now, the stage is set for the team to participate at the 2013 world edition, scheduled to be held on 14th and 15th of December. Fortunately, two of the most famous Indian racers, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, have signed up for the Indian team. And it was both these drivers who sizzled the racing track in Bangkok at the inaugural ROC Asia, leading their team to a victory. Competing with the likes of Japan, Thailand and China, India performed extremely well to top group stages. Due to their exhibits at the 2012 ROC Asia, Chandhok and Karthikeyan have been invited to participate at ROC 2013.
There is no denying the kind of talent and pedigree that Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan possess. Both of them can easily be counted among the best car racers the country has produced. Chandhok, hailing from Chennai, has earned recognition on the world stage through his participation in Formula One for HRT and Lotus. He has also taken part in the GP2 series and FIA World Endurance Championship. Speaking about his willingness and excitement to take part in ROC, Chandhok said, “I’m very excited to be going back to Bangkok for the Race Of Champions. Narain and I had a great time together last year and it was fantastic to be the first ROC Asia winners. ROC is a unique event from a competitive and social perspective and it’s something that every driver looks forward to. It was really nice to drive such a variety of cars and we both have more experience this year and know a bit more about how it all works. The chance to spend time with such a great mix of drivers from a huge variety of championships around the world is a lot of fun and I hope we once again get a good crowd at the stadium.”
Karthikeyan, on the other hand, is a seasoned campaigner and has been India's flag bearer on the motorsport circuit. He has been highly successful in a lot of tournaments in which he took participation. His laurels include victories in British F3, A1GP, Superleague Formula and Auto GP. Over the years, Karthikeyan has been promoting motor car racing in India and has been at the helm of numerous events organised for the same. According reports and comments, the Indian driver is really excited about the prospect of going head-to-head with stalwarts from the world of racing. Elaborating about Race of Champions and India's prospects there, he said, “It will be a great privilege to represent India again at the Race Of Champions. We had a great time at our first attempt when we won ROC Asia but it is always a challenge to jump into different cars and adapt quickly. However, with the experience of the 2012 event behind us, we feel more confident and better prepared this time. As always, going head to head with world champions like Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Ogier is something we’re looking forward to.”
Race of Champions, first held in the year 1988, is considered to be one of the biggest exhibitions of motor car racing in the world and is looked forward to with great enthusiasm. Racers from main competitions in motor sport like Formula One, Le Mans, Moto GP, NASCAR, X-Games and IndyCar come together to display their skills. The best thing about this race is that all participants use identical machinery, which makes the race all the more exciting. There are some pretty big names on the list of drivers that are set to take part at the 2013 Race of Champions. This list includes the likes of German legend Michael Schumacher, Le Mans champion Tom Kristensen and Sebastian Ogier, who recently won the World Rally Championship. Sources suggest that this event is going to held on an exclusively constructed track, which has been made out of tarmac.
Although the chances of the Indian team winning the Nations Cup at ROC is quite tough, its participation can be considered as a feather in the nation's cap. Fredrik Johnsson, one of the main members of the organising, appreciated the participation of Indian team at the event. “We’re really happy to have Karun and Narain back at the Race Of Champions again. They raced very well last year on their way to victory in ROC Asia and their performance generated plenty of headlines among the burgeoning ranks of motor sport fans in India. So we hope to see many of their fellow countrymen making the short trip to Bangkok this time to cheer them on,” he said.
