How would you run your Race of Champions/All-Star Event?

[adam46]

I've always considered the Race of Champions format to be a bit strange. Perhaps it would suit rally drivers, but I don't see it as a legitimate way of seeing who's the best driver, although that is likely not the point. Anyway, I would be intrigued to know how you would run it. Would you run it as a cross-over between multiple forms of motorsport? What cars would you use? Which venue would you go to?

Just so things don't go absolutely mad, limit it to roughly 20 drivers who are still racing currently! You can ignore contract issues and so on if you choose, but there is no problem with being realistic there either.(Unless you want to do something like GP Masters, in which case, only include those who are still alive and able.)

Here's my first attempt, it's essentially a complete crossover, featuring two thirty minute races in two different cars. Combined results would decide who is the champ!

Track: Silverstone GP.

Cars:
Lotus T125 (http://img2.sportauto.de/Lotus-T125-articleTitle-5b8ec946-565390.jpg)
Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4. (http://www.wsupercars.com/wallpapers/Aston_Martin/2011-Aston-Martin-Vantage-GT4-V1-1080.jpg)


Drivers:

1. Tom Kristensen (Le Mans Legend)

2. Jolyon Palmer (GP2 Champion)

3. Andrew Jordan (BTCC Star)

4. Jenson Button (Former F1 World Champion)

5. Will Power (IndyCar Champion)

6. Craig Lowndes (V8 Supercar Legend)

7. Yvan Muller (Tourng Car Legend)

8. Jann Mardenborough (GT Academy Winner, LMP, GT & Single Seater racer)

9. Valentino Rossi (Moto GP Legend)

10. Sébastien Loeb (Rally Legend, WTCC driver)

11. Andy Priaulx (Touring/GT Star)

12. Dean Stoneman (GT, Single Seater star)

13. Jamie Whincup (V8 Supercar Champion/Legend)

14. Daniel Ricciardo (F1 Star)

15. Bernd Schneider (DTM and GT Legend)

16. Andre Lotterer (Sportscar Star)

17. Kimi Raikkonen (Former F1 World Champion)

18. Tony Kanaan (IndyCar Star)

19. Max Verstappen (F1 soon to be Star)

20. Stéphane Sarrazin (Sportscar Star)

 

[TenEightyOne]

I...

I'd watch that! The GP might be a little long at 5891 metres though, if the cars average around 100mph (the BTCC average) that's about 130s per lap... maybe a little long for spectators? I'd consider the Inter or Nat layout... but I'd still watch it on GP

 

[SagarisGTB]

Car: Race-prepped Toyota 86 (TMG GT86 CS-V3 or TRD 86 Racing)
Track: Zandvoort
Format: 2-3 sprint races

Drivers:
Lewis Hamilton
Nico Rosberg
Daniel Ricciardo
Fernando Alonso
Sebastian Vettel
Neel Jani
Anthony Davidson
Andre Lotterer
Kazuki Nakajima
Ronnie Quintarelli
Pechito Lopez
Jimmie Johnson
Matias Rossi
Colin Turkington
Will Power
Jamie Whincup
Laurens Vanthoor
Max Gotz
Marco Wittman
Caca Bueno
Sebastien Ogier
Maxime Martin
Yvan Muller
Jeroen Bleekemolen

Edit: Explanation added:
- Top 3 in this year's F1 WDC and the two most successful current F1 drivers.
- The top (or one of the top) driver at each LMP1 works outfit.
- The current champion or a recent champion (and current runner) of nearly every high-profile (as in locally or in the racing discipline) senior four-wheeled non-truck racing series.
- Three "wildcards" given to standard bearers in their racing categories (Maxime Martin for GT, Muller for touring cars) and, since this fantasy race takes place in the Netherlands, a Dutch driver to put local patriot butts in seats. And who better than race-every-weekend GT ace Jeroen Bleekemolen?

 

[Northstar]

Tracks:
1 Lap of the Monaco GP Circuit
1 Lap of the Nordschleife

Drivers:
Sebastian Vettel (F1)
Lewis Hamilton (F1)
Fernando Alonso (F1)
Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
Brad Keselowski (NASCAR)
Tony Stewart (NASCAR)
Sebastien Loeb (WRC)
Sebastien Ogier (WRC)
Jose Maria Lopez (WTCC)
Yvan Muller (WTCC)
Anthony Davidson (WEC)
Sebastien Buemi (WEC)
Will Power (IndyCar)
Scott Dixon (IndyCar)


Now for the important part, the thing they will be driving. I wanted something that none of the above likely have much experience with, this left me with little to choose from, but I believe I have found a suitable choice.

I introduce the Radio Flyer RoC1

...Now back to people taking this topic seriously.

 

[BKGlover]

Well, we had IROC, which failed twice, that ran almost exclusively in the US, and with US drivers, on ovals. Good racing, but not much "I" to it. The ROC is a much better lineup, but it does seem like it's basically rally circuit stages, and that isn't conducive to most series involved. As NASCAR is the only series I know of with an "All-Star" event in racing, I think that can be dismissed....

I can think of two competitions that can be done. First is a free-for-all Race of Champions, inviting the latest champions from each "Major" racing series (F1, Sprint Cup, WEC, WRC, etc.), if they decline, invite can go either to the next champion in line,or a championship contender, or the champion of a supporting series (GP2, N(_)S/NCTS, LMS, etc). The cars would need to be identical, and prepared identically, so it would have to be reliable, somewhat powerful, and agile, and yet be something most parties involved could agree on. The track would be the sticking point, I think. What I'd like to see is two short races, one run in one direction, the second in the reverse. I think a 2-3 mile road course or city circuit would be ideal, but I don't think anyone would object to Monaco.

The second would be a Race of Nations. Why? Because A1GP is dead, and the IOC disallows "sports that depend primarily on mechanical propulsion, such as motor sports". Instead of looking at champions (or contenders) solely, an invitation is extended to a nations top # drivers, discipline notwithstanding. How to do the rest of it? I don't know because you have the possibility of it all crashing down from there, either drivers and/or fans uninterested or cost going through the roof.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

How about an invitational karting event? It's where most racing drives made their start and they don't depend on setups like other motorsports do. It's all about driver skill and not the team around them. Kart tracks could be made up in a stadium, much like the ROC or they could use existing ones.