Doohan to return to race track

From motogp.com

Five-time MotoGP World Champion Mick Doohan will return to the race track this November to compete at The Race of Champions, to be held in the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing.

Doohan, who won five consecutive titles at motorcycle racing’s highest level from 1994-1998, will team up with fellow Australian Jamie Whincup, the reigning Australian V8 Supercars Champion, in The ROC Nations Cup on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Both racers will then compete for individual glory in The Race of Champions the following day.

“The Race of Champions is a really fun event,” said Doohan. “In June I raced in Portugal at the ROC Legends and had a great time, so I’m really looking forward to taking part at the World Finals in Beijing. I can only imagine how good it will be!

"I’ve got a great team-mate in Jamie Whincup for the ROC Nations Cup so we’ll be giving it our best shot to win the crown for Australia.”

Doohan is the latest in a list of famous names from the world of two-wheeled motorsport who have taken part in The Race of Champions, with others including six-time MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi, triple World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss and multiple X-Games gold medallist Travis Pastrana.

Whincup, who has won Australia’s legendary Bathurst 1000 touring car race for the past three years, expressed his excitement at facing reigning ROC Nations Cup champion and F1 legend Michael Schumacher as well as current F1 championship leader Jenson Button.

“It’s going to be an awesome event. I will get to race some amazing cars against the likes of Schumacher and Button, which is incredibly exciting,” said Whincup.

Germany’s Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel head to Beijing as the reigning ROC Nations Cup Champions, and will be aiming to add to their titles won in 2007 and 2008 at Wembley Stadium. If they do so, Germany will become the first nation to win the ROC Nations Cup three times