Replacements for the injured Johnson and ButtonWith just days remaining before Saturday's The Race of Champions – Nations Cup, ticket sales have already exceeded 47,000. Off track there have been two key changes.
The complete entry list features two new names following
the last-minute withdrawals of England's
Jenson Button and the USA's Jimmie Johnson owing to injury. The former is suffering from cracked ribs sustained in a karting accident, while the 2006 NASCAR champ broke his wrist in a fall from a golf cart.
Their places in motor sport's annual end-of-season extravaganza have been filled by the United States F1 star Scott Speed and England's multiple BTCC Champion and WTCC front-runner James Thompson.
"It is with enormous regret that I won't be competing in this year's The Race of Champions," Button admitted. "Although the recent rib injury I sustained at a karting test is healing well, we decided that it was best that I didn't aggravate the condition. Because of this, I will not be able to participate in the last F1 test of the season and sadly I will have to miss The Race of Champions also."
"It was an event I was very much looking forward to and I wish everyone well, particularly my friend Andy Priaulx who was going to be my team-mate. I very much hope this opportunity presents itself again in the future because it's something I would really like to do.
Good luck to everyone taking part!"
"It was a fluke deal," relates Johnson, a member of the 2002 ROC-Nations Cup winning squad. "I was in a golf cart and the driver took a sharp turn. I wasn't holding on tight enough, landed awkwardly on the ground and heard a little pop. It's disappointing that I can't compete in The Race of Champions. But I'll still be in Paris to cheer on Team USA and provide any support I can."
RoC entry list
Sébastien Bourdais (France/Champ Car)
David Coulthard (Scotland/F1)
Mattias Ekström (Sweden/DTM & WRC)
Marcus Grönholm (Finland/WRC)
Heikki Kovalainen (Finland/F1)
Tom Kristensen (Denmark/Endurance & DTM)
Sebastien Loeb (France/WRC)
Colin McRae (Scotland/WRC)
Yvan Muller (France/WTCC)
Travis Pastrana (USA/X-Games)
Stéphane Peterhansel (France/Rally-Raid)
Andy Priaulx (England/WTCC)
Nani Roma (Spain/Rally-Raid)
Bernd Schneider (Germany/DTM)
Armin Schwarz (Germany/WRC)
Scott Speed (USA/F1)
Dani Sordo (Spain/WRC)
James Thompson (England/WTCC).
Source RoC
