Seven time NASCAR champion and IndyCar convert Jimmie Johnson will take part in the 2022 Race of Champions world final from Pite Havsbad, Sweden.
This will be Johnson’s first time participating in the event since 2007, and he will team up with fellow American Travis Pastrana for the Nations Cup portion of the event.
Johnson’s inaugural ROC event was in Gran Canaria, Spain in 2002, when he teamed up with Jeff Gordon as the first NASCAR drivers to take part in the event.
This year’s event, taking place just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, will bring new challenges with multiple events scheduled on snow and ice.
“Gran Canaria was dirt, and I don’t think the other guys knew how much dirt racing Jeff [Gordon] and I had in our backgrounds,” Johnson said.
“I don’t think many expected me to run well or even knew who I was for that matter. To win the ROC Nation’s Cup, was something really unique.
“The only event where I represented my country. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot in my career, but that’s the only experience I’ve had like that.
“I’m really looking forward to returning to ROC and competing with Travis [Pastrana]. He’s a tremendous talent and we have such fun competing together. Hopefully we can go have some fun and success on the snow and ice.”
The Race of Champions was started in 1988, and has taken place in many different iconic locations throughout the years.
The upcoming 2022 event features multiple vehicles running on electricity and sustainable fuels, including the 1000 Horsepower FC1-X Supercar and the new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.
Johnson joins other world-class drivers, including Mika Hakkinen, Valtteri Bottas, Sebastien Loeb, and Petter Solberg, with additional drivers due to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Nations Cup and Race of Champions events will take place on February 5-6, 2022.
