V8 Championship Series leader Jamie Whincup has been confirmed to compete in the Race Of Champions in Thailand after making his debut in the unique format last year.
The event at the Rajamangala Stadium is scheduled for December 14-15, a week after the final round of the V8 Supercars Championship which Whincup currently leads.
The Red Bull Racing Australia ace made it through to the semi-finals in 2012 against some of the stars of top disciplines including F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, WRC, DTM, Touring Cars and MotoGP as a team-mate to motorcycle legend Mick Doohan in the ROC Nations Cup component of the event.
“I couldn’t be happier to compete at the Race Of Champions again,” Whincup said.
“I really enjoyed my time in Bangkok last year and will use the experience I learnt in my rookie year to be more competitive this year.
“My biggest weakness last year was getting my head around a left-hand-drive car so I am already on the lookout for a car here in Australia to gain some extra practice.”
Among those confirmed for the event for 2013 are seven-times F1 champion Michael Schumacher, recently crowned WRC champion Sebastien Ogier and Le Mans 24 Hour legend Tom Kristensen.
The remainder of the field will be announced in the coming weeks.
Race organiser Fredrik Johnsson said: “It is fantastic to have Jamie back at the Race Of Champions after his debut last year.
“He is the first V8 Supercar champion to join us and his recent domination of the series shows just what an exceptional driver he is.”
