Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Race of Champions
Vettel, Solberg outshine Americans on Race of Champions’ last day
International racers outshine U.S. side at Marlins Park event.
MIAMI — Bragging rights went to foreign drivers this weekend on the big slot-car track in Marlins Park.
In the first visit to the United States in the 28th running of the Race of Champions, “America first” wasn’t achieved in team or individual competition.
Sebastian Vettel was a one-man juggernaut in carrying Germany to the Nations Cup team championship Sunday. Then Norway’s Petter Solberg drove away from Scott Speed to sink the U.S. in the final race of a special America vs. the World Ryder-Cup style showdown.
On Saturday, Juan Pablo Montoya, a Colombia native though a resident of Miami, took the individual title as Champion of Champions.
While the event had very much of a foreign feel, especially the setting, the 20 drivers representing various racing disciplines gave rave reviews to their first experience of racing inside a baseball stadium and expressed eagerness to do it again.
The Race of Champions has an option to return to Marlins Park for one or two more years, and Fredrik Johnsson, founder and president of the event, said it is under consideration.
“We’re looking forward to more people in the stadium than we had,” he said. “I think everybody that saw the event has been blown away and will speak positively about
it and hopefully come back next year with their friends.”
The two days of racing drew a combined 28,618, with the larger crowd of 15,105 on Saturday. Those who attended were treated to an entertaining and competitive event in a rapid-fire, if sometimes difficult to follow format, on a twisting figure-eight track constructed on the baseball field.
“I have never been to a baseball stadium. I’ve raced in a baseball stadium before I’ve seen a baseball game. That’s pretty unusual, I guess,” said Vettel, who attended a Miami Heat game and concluded, “the basketball stadium is a bit small for racing.”
The way Vettel was driving Sunday, he could have won on a race course set inside a South Beach nighclub.
After failing to advance out of the first round Saturday in defense of his Champion of Champions crown, the four-time Formula 1 world champion put on a remarkable show in winning all eight races he drove in the team competition to take his seventh Nations Cup title.
Vettel had to drive every race for Germany because countryman Pascal Wehrlein withdrew on doctor’s advice as a precaution after crashing Saturday.
In the best-of-three final against Team NASCAR, Vettel took down both Busch brothers, peeling away from Kurt Busch at the starting line in the first heat, then completing the sweep by coming from behind against Kyle Busch.
The Busch brothers did get to pound their chests on behalf of NASCAR after besting the other two American teams, representing IndyCar and Rally X.
“We know Vettel can whack two Busches in one day,” Kurt Busch said, adding “As the NASCAR team we definitely wanted to advance out of our group ahead of the IndyCar guys and Rally X guys.”
Vettel made it 9-for-9 on the day when he defeated Travis Pastrana in his only race during the America vs. the World showdown.
Kyle Busch gave the U.S. a 7-5 lead in the penultimate race. But with three points at stake in the finale, Solberg was able to deliver the last indignity to the U.S. and make Speed eat his words in the process.
“It was a bit of pressure,” Solberg said. “But when Scott came up to me he said he was going to beat me. So I thought, OK, you can try. I was focused, so I went properly flat out, rally style, and it worked really well.”
Afterward it was difficult to tell the winners from the losers as many of the drivers shared champagne.
Busy ballpark
The Race of Champions marked the beginning of a most eventful year for Marlins Park. The asphalt will be broken up and trucked away by Wednesday.
New Platinum TE Paspalum sod will arrive from Alabama to restore the surface for baseball in time for the first round of the World Baseball Classic, March 9-13. The longawaited All-Star Game in South Florida is coming July 11. There may even be a new name for the ballpark, if the Marlins can finalize a naming-rights deal before they host the game, as has been their stated aim.
Claude Delorme, vice present of ballpark operations and events, this week reiterated a desire he has expressed before to stage an NHL Winter Classic. NHL Commissioner Gary
Bettman has scoffed at the idea in previous years, but Delorme is optimistic that Bettman will warm to the idea of hockey in a warm setting.
“I think he will eventually,” Delorme said, pointing out that keeping the roof closed before the game makes it feasible in South Florida.