Castroneves, Hinchcliffe, Busch Added To 2017 Race of Champions
IndyCar stars Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe, and NASCAR champion Kyle Busch, have been added to the 2017 Race of Champions roster.
The 2017 Race of Champions is now even bigger. The Miami motorsports event has added IndyCar fan favorites Helio Castroneves and James Hinchcliffe and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch, to its already impressive lineup of competitors.
Castroneves drives the No. 3 Chevrolet for Team Penske. He is a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and outside of the racetrack participated in two seasons of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, taking home one Mirrorball Trophy. He’s also beloved by racing fans for his outgoing personality.
Hinchcliffe was the runner-up in the most recent season of Dancing with the Stars. He’ll return as the driver of the No. 5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda for the 2017 IndyCar season. Like Castroneves, the “Mayor of Hinchtown” is well known for being one of his sport’s most engaging personalities.
Kyle Busch made headlines when he recovered from major injuries to become the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in 2015. He finished third in this year’s standings behind Jimmie Johnson and Joey Logano.
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Busch’s brother, fellow NASCAR titleholder Kurt Busch, was already part of the Race of Champions field and now the two will be paired together to form Team USA NASCAR.
It’s not known how the two IndyCar drivers will be assigned. Hinchcliffe is the only Canadian thus far, while Castroneves is the third Brazilian after fellow open-wheel stars Tony Kanaan (also from IndyCar) and Felipe Massa (Formula One).
However it ultimately gets sliced these new additions turn the 2017 Race of Champions into a can’t miss event for anyone who enjoys any form of sports.
The addition of Castroneves means that there are eight Indianapolis 500 titles among the driver lineup. Juan Pablo Montoya claimed two Indy 500 wins while Kanaan, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi all have earned one.
The Busch brothers bring two NASCAR championships, and let’s not sleep on Scott Speed, who just earned back-to-back titles in Red Bull Global Rallycross – only the second driver in the history of that league to do so. The Race of Champions is absolutely living up to its title and then some, and we still have almost a month before competition begins.
If you’re anywhere near Miami in January make it your mission to attend the 2017 Race of Champions. The two-day event takes place Jan. 21 and 22 and will be one of the top sporting events of the year.
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