The Race of Champions.

Speeddemon555 · 28 Nov 2002, 04:52 (Ref:438411)

Hey guys, the Race of Champions is this weekend at the Canary Islands. The Nation's Cup pits the best drivers of each discipline to race for the championship. World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm, Tomas Radstrom and Jesus Puras are representing their countries. Last year Harri Rovanperra beat Armin Schwartz to win the title.

Lee Janotta · 28 Nov 2002, 07:04 (Ref:438438)

Jimmy Johnson should be pretty good.

rdjones · 28 Nov 2002, 19:48 (Ref:438965)

Saw the preview into Autosport - looks a really good line, should be a good event, its just a shame we do not get live TV.

rdjones · 29 Nov 2002, 23:50 (Ref:439732)

Just picked this up on Autosport.com

Quote:

Gronholm in roll with NASCAR star!

Marcus Gronholm endured an embarrassing roll...
...but his passenger saw the funny side

World Rally Champion Marcus Gronholm was left red-faced after rolling his Peugeot 206 WRC on a demo run for this weekend's Gran Canaria Race of Champions - and NASCAR Winston Cup hero Jeff Gordon was given the perfect view of the quadruple flip!

The four-times NACSCAR champ was sitting in the co-driver's place when Gronholm lost control during the run which was filmed for US TV.

The Finn got as far as the second corner, a right-left kink, when he rolled on to a bank. The Peugeot then somersaulted three more times before coming to a rest.

Both Gronholm and Gordon emerged unscathed to huge cheers from the crowd. Gordon took it in good part, grinning as he walked back to the paddock, where he proceeded to retell his story to fellow NASCAR ace Jimmie Johnson. Meanwhile, Gronholm just looked embarrassed...

"I was just going too fast, I guess," said the rally champ. "I hit the bank and it just rolled. Jeff was just laughing. I guess I will just have to go on from here and win it now."

The car was badly damaged in the shunt, leaving Peugeot down to just two 206s for the weekend.

Liz · 30 Nov 2002, 00:05 (Ref:439743)

"Filmed for US TV?" I hope that means Speed!

Lee Janotta · 30 Nov 2002, 03:15 (Ref:439850)

Woohoo!!!

Definitly proves what I've thought for a long time, that Americans and Europeans have very different views of wrecks. Europeans **** themselves and act like they nearly bought the farm, while we just laugh it off. Wrecks happen.

Liz · 30 Nov 2002, 04:13 (Ref:439875)

Gronholm would be awesome in a NASCAR although he'd probably wonder what the challenge was. No shifting gears and no trees!

DAVID PATERSON · 30 Nov 2002, 10:11 (Ref:439968)

Lee, you've got to be kidding!

The top Europeans are the bravest drivers on Earth, watch them, you will see this. You yanks tend to go full corurse yellow if a bird pees on the track.

Don't believe me? Research the history of Americans and Europeans competing at Bathurst in Australia's greatest motor race. A very one sided result on an equal playing field.

429CJ · 30 Nov 2002, 17:58 (Ref:440172)

There is lots of shifting in "bullrings" like Bristol or Richmond. And it surely was the big head of Jeff Gordon what caused the roll. :

:

Speeddemon555 · 30 Nov 2002, 22:12 (Ref:440248)

Well guys, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Colin Edwards win the Nation's Cup beating Italy 3-1. I call it an upset of epic propotions.

Andrew Jones · 30 Nov 2002, 22:21 (Ref:440257)

Does anybody know when the Race of Champions will be on UK TV

Lee Janotta · 1 Dec 2002, 04:19 (Ref:440339)

I didn't say European drivers weren't brave... But Americans are downright reckless!

Consider, a typical rally is held over several days in around two dozen stages. Our desert racing is done in no more than two legs, but can cover as much as 1000 miles!!!

Lee Janotta · 1 Dec 2002, 04:39 (Ref:440342)

Here's a side story I dug up... Uhm... What's the deal? Were there two events this weekend or something??? :confused:

http://www.crash.net/news_detail.asp...&language_id=1

Emfa · 1 Dec 2002, 06:41 (Ref:440349)

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
... What's the deal? Were there two events this weekend or something??? :confused:

Several by the look of it:
- The Junior Rally Masters,
- ROC Nations Cup,
- The Michelin Race of Champions,
and by the look of that story that you quoted, there was an "ROC America" as well. Maybe a race-off for American competitors, held on the first day of the ROC weekend???

DAVID PATERSON · 1 Dec 2002, 08:09 (Ref:440365)

Quote, "Europeans **** themselves and act like they nearly bought the farm".

Lee, you clearly did impy that the europeans aren't brave and you i both know that's a pile of ****.

bleiben · 1 Dec 2002, 11:16 (Ref:440440)

Chek the official website

http://www.imp.mc/rocwebsite/index.htm

rdjones · 1 Dec 2002, 16:30 (Ref:440598)

The results are in -

The Nation Cup - The USA ! ! ! !

ROC - Marcus Gronholm

Lee Janotta · 1 Dec 2002, 16:44 (Ref:440617)

Quote:

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
Quote, "Europeans **** themselves and act like they nearly bought the farm".

Lee, you clearly did impy that the europeans aren't brave and you i both know that's a pile of ****.

Whoa, David, hold on now... I've just been joking around a bit, and I thought people understood that.

If we're being serious, then yeah, there's no distinction worth being made between the groups.

garcon · 2 Dec 2002, 18:03 (Ref:441283)

Good result for the USA in the nations cup - congrats!

Seems you boys can drive a bit if pushed - not sure of this reckless tag though - I think colin McRae has a pretty good claim on that...

Would be nice to see USA involvement - drivers, even cars if you learn how to build them properly

- in the WRC proper...

garcon · 2 Dec 2002, 18:06 (Ref:441286)

*thinks*

Why not enter a Hummer in the Paris/Dakar??

Lee Janotta · 2 Dec 2002, 18:09 (Ref:441288)

Uhm, 'cause those beancounters at GM aren't that imaginative?

Would be something to see!

Liz · 3 Dec 2002, 00:34 (Ref:441484)

Hummers aren't very fast, are they?

If I get suddenly wealthy and find out I have a chance to retire, I would absolutely love to do the Paris-Dakar. I'd arrive a week after everyone else but it would be the experience of a lifetime. But not in a Hummer.

DAVID PATERSON · 3 Dec 2002, 08:37 (Ref:441618)

I believe Hummers are actually quite quick, as tanks go.

a_r_c_a · 3 Dec 2002, 13:32 (Ref:441764)

Good result for the USA in the nations cup - congratulations! Good Times, Bad Times, you know I had my share, Good times for America. Kenny Bracks rocks in Canarias!

SJ Spode · 4 Dec 2002, 09:18 (Ref:442369)

Just got back from the RoC folks. I'll put something together about it after i've got through the 80+ work e-mails.

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