Beyond its definitive borders, NASCAR is often mocked for driving around in circles and turning to the left most of the time. Despite how it may look, NASCAR drivers are just as talented as their Formula 1 counterparts. This was proved and etched into the minds of racing fans during the 2008 Race of Champions held at London’s Wembley Stadium.
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That year’s ROC event saw NASCAR’s Carl Edwards drive in a head-to-head race against seven-time Formula 1 World Champion and Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher. Throughout the race, the commentators hoped for the German ace to dominate the American racer. But it was Edwards who crossed the line way ahead of the former Ferrari legend, much to the disbelief of the commentators.
December 14, 2008: Carl Edwards defeated Michael Schumacher in a head-to-head race in the Race of Champions at London’s Wembley Stadium
Edwards had already beaten Jaime Alguersuari in round 1 but lost to David Coulthard in the semi-finals. pic.twitter.com/kEvo45H25E
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) December 14, 2023
Despite his win over Schumacher, Edwards ended up losing the semi-final round against another former Formula 1 driver, David Coulthard. But his win over the German set the narrative straight that NASCAR drivers had the same degree of talent as their European open-wheel counterparts.
What is the Race of Champions?
The Race of Champions is a motorsport event that takes place during the off-season, typically toward the end or start of the year. The focus of the event is to witness some of the best drivers across racing disciplines compete in a head-to-head race against each other in equal and identical machinery.
The first-ever ROC event was organized by rally icon Michèle Mouton and International Media Productions President, Fredrik Johnsson. Although the earlier iterations of the event only featured the best rally racing drivers, with time they expanded to include drivers from Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Sportscar, and Touring cars.
Aside from Edwards, there were a few more NASCAR drivers who took part in this event over the years. During the 2002 event, the American team saw Hendrick Motorsports legends Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson take part and win the Nations Cup along with former MotoGP rider Colin Edwards.
