TP Diaries: Race of Champions 2011

Another year and another mediocre performance at the Race of Champions. I always enter this event with such optimism but return home humbled and aching to have another shot to drive against the best in the world. Out of the 5 times I?ve been selected to race this event, I?ve only been able to hold the American flag on the podium one time. In the history of the event, Team USA has only managed one victory. But I was encouraged this year because they selected another motocross rider turned car driver Brian Deegan as my teammate.

I was happy about this decision because the format doesn?t seem to favor the NASCAR drivers. Not because they aren?t the best drivers, but because a lot of them haven?t grown up driving a wide variety of cars. In the R.O.C., there are road cars, racecars, rally cars, buggies, go-karts and X-Bow?s. Some cars are Front engine, some rear engine. Some cars turn in fine on their own; some require the ?Scandinavian Flick?. You may get an all-wheel drive car with a sequential gear-box or a paddle shift with a complex start control or even a standard rear wheel drive car with an H pattern. Some cars require a ?heel/toe? downshift with the use of the clutch and some don?t even have a clutch.

The tall drivers like myself usually fit about as well in the buggies as Donkey Kong in Mario Kart? But some of the shorter drivers have a hard time seeing over the dash in the rally car. Even the simple VW was confusing because the sequential box was the opposite as it was on the Skoda. Shifting up on one car was shifting down on the other. Point being, the one lap (less then a minute and a half) of practice time that we get in each car suits people that grew up driving / riding / sliding / jumping and finding the balance of many different vehicles.

My two best cars were the Audi R8 and the buggy. I beat last years champion who is drives for Audi as well as a two-time DTM World Champion this year in the R8. Unfortunately, I didn?t win a single heat in any other car. I never drew the NASCAR or the go-kart or the buggy, which didn?t help my cause, but hey, that?s what makes the ROC such a challenge.

Deegan drove really well but the only win he got was in the NASCAR (USA!!!). Unfortunately, they gave him ten seconds in penalties, 5 for jumping the start and 5 more for hitting too many walls. He didn?t have a shot to move on after losing his first two races (both against former f1 champions, Michael Schumacher and Jensen Button) so he didn?t have much to lose and went for it! The best part was that Brian didn?t know he got the penalties so he was doing donuts for a while before they kicked him off the course.

The truly amazing part of the ROC is getting to know, and race with, people who would never normally be in the same place. I took my half face Red Bull helmet that I use for all of the Nitro Circus shenanigans and smith made me some epic red white and blue glasses (that went along nicely with the USA sweater that my wife made up for both of us) but the helmet didn?t pass the safety inspection. I looked around the drivers lounge and realized that almost every helmet was Red Bull. Red Bull doesn?t sponsor a lot of people so this revelation made my jaw drop. Mattias Ekstrom (a two time ROC winner, DTM and Rally champion) offered me one of his spares. I mentioned to Lyn-z how rare it was to find a Red Bull helmet anywhere but she pointed out the obvious ?Duh, this IS the race of CHAMPIONS?? I?m proud to be on such an awesome team and this thought made me smile.

Maybe one year team USA will be able to take down Germany (5 time and defending ROC champions consisting of Sebastian Vettel - 2 time and current F1 Champion - and Michael Schumacher ? 7 time F1 Champion) They are such a strong team and they are two of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Both of them class acts, on and off the course. Still, all I can think of is what I have to do to beat them... not in an F1 car, but maybe, just maybe, at this event. I mean, I?ve beaten Vettel two out of the three times we?ve raced. I know it was probably more luck then skill but hey, that means there is a chance, right?

-TP

12.06.2011