'We did it!' Edmonton racing driver wins bid to compete against world's best
CBC News | Posted: January 10, 2017 12:39 AM | Last Updated: January 10, 2017
'I couldn’t have done it without any of you,' Stefan Rzadzinski says after victory in online contest
Edmonton racing driver Stefan Rzadzinski has won the chance to drive against champions from IndyCar, Nascar and Formula 1 later this month at the Race of Champions in Miami.
On its Twitter account, the Race of Champions organization said Rzadzinski fought "a brilliant campaign" to earn more votes in an online contest than American IndyCar driver Conor Daly, 24, the son of former Formula 1 driver Derek Daly.
"We did it! I just don't even know what to say," Rzadzinski said in a video posted to Twitter on Monday afternoon.
"We just got news from the Race of Champions we won. I couldn't have done it without any of you.
"Thank you [everyone in] Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, around the world who's got on board with this. This has been unreal."
Rzadzinski, 24, will now team up with fellow Canadian James Hinchcliffe as Team ROC Factor North America in the ROC Nations Cup on Jan. 22.
Rzadzinski's experience began with karts in his youth and has progressed through a range of other series, including the Nissan Micra Cup series and Indy Lights.
The more seasoned Hinchcliffe, 30, is an IndyCar veteran with four wins to his credit. He started from the pole position in the 2016 running of the Indy 500.
The Race of Champions, which goes Jan. 21 and 22, is an annual event that brings together professional racers from different disciplines — from the World Rally Championship to Formula 1 and Le Mans — and seeks to level the playing field.
The drivers compete against each other in a variety of types of cars. It's a knockout tournament that ends with one winner, the Champion of Champions.
It was last held in London, England, in 2015. The winner was four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany.
Miami is the first North American city to host the event.