Jason Plato to represent England at the 2015 Race of Champions

Jason Plato has been confirmed as the first member of Team England at the 2015 Race of Champions, marking his first appearance at the event in five years.

The two-time BTCC champion will compete with some of the world’s best drivers inside the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which played hos to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

“It’s just a hoot,” Plato told TouringCarTimes. “It’s a real privilege and an honour to be selected to do it, and this’ll be my third time, it’s like a little family. I’ll get there and I’ll have something in common with all of them, and we’ll all have a drink in the evening and we’ll all have a bit of fun. It’s ace, it’s really great to be competing and having fun in our own special environment away from the pressures of normal, every day life, in this weird crazy thing that is the Race of Champions, so it’s ace.”

A number of world class drivers have already been announced for the 2015 event, although Plato is yet to know the identity of his team-mate in Team England. Currently scheduled to appear, however, are Formula One stars Sebastien Vettel, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Felipe Massa, as well as Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen and various top names including Petter Solberg and Mick Doohan.

“Last time out me and Andy [Priaulx] were Team GB and were beaten in the final by Germany, which was Michael Schumacher and Vettel, which isn’t a bad pair to be beaten by! But to be honest I let the side down, I was up a bit too late the night before and was a little bit jaded and we could’ve won, had I not made a mistake and hit the wall and we got pipped. I don’t know who my team-mate’s going to be but it’s going to be a hoot.”

The Race of Champions takes place on November 20-21 in London’s former Olympic Stadium in Stratford.