Hunter-Reay: I picked hardest group in Race Of Champions draw

Former IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay claims he picked the hardest group for Saturday’s Race Of Champions in Miami’s Marlins Park baseball stadium.

Hunter-Reay – who picked the names along with fellow Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves during Monday’s blind draw – will go up against Tom Kristensen, Kurt Busch and 2014 champion David Coulthard.

“Somehow I’ve picked two ROC champions in my group,” he said of Coulthard and Kristensen, the latter a two-time ROC Nations’ Cup winner.

“I guess you might as well get through the difficult part at the beginning!

“Never do you get this much racing talent in one place, one event. The grip level is down, so we’re sliding around, so it’s a matter of adapting. It’s really unique to see drivers out of their comfort zone in the different cars.

“It’s your opportunity to up against the best of the best, so you have to seize it. This is going to be the best one yet.”

Button v Busch, Montoya v Solberg…

Saturday’s event will also see 2015 NASCAR champion Kyle Busch race against ex-F1 world champion Jenson Button, plus 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan and last year’s Indy 500 pole-sitter James Hinchcliffe.

Meanwhile, two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya will take on World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, 2015 DTM champion and new Sauber F1 signing Pascal Wehrlein, and 11-time Grand Prix race winner Felipe Massa.

The reigning ROC Champion of Champions, four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, will begin the defence of his title against action sports great Travis Pastrana and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

They will be joined by the winner of a play-off between Global Rallycross Champion Scott Speed and 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi.

“I’m not worried!” quipped Castroneves of being drawn against Vettel, Pastrana and Speed/Rossi. “No, I respect all of the drivers – they’re first-class athletes – and every one of them competing has amazing qualities, plus switching cars throughout the event means the advantage will constantly be shifting.

“That’s why this is such a great event.”

The top two drivers in each group progress to the quarter-finals. From there, it’s a knockout tournament all the way to the Grand Final, when this year’s Champion of Champions will be crowned.