ROC welcomes 2014 GP2 Champion Jolyon Palmer

Newly-crowned GP2 Series Champion Jolyon Palmer has joined the driver line-up for the 2014 Race Of Champions, to be held at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14.

Palmer has had a dream year in the leading Formula 1 feeder series in 2014, utterly dominating a strong field and taking a total of four wins and 12 podiums. In doing so he became the first driver since Romain Grosjean in 2011 to win this prestigious title with an entire race weekend to spare. Palmer's outstanding season also earned him his first Formula 1 test with Force India in Abu Dhabi following the season finale.

Now the performances have won the Englishman an invitation to this year's Race Of Champions in Barbados. Next weekend he will have the chance to take on Grosjean (the reigning Champion of Champions) and the rest of ROC's stunning field of greats from all the major forms of motor sport.

Palmer and Grosjean join a ROC 2014 line-up featuring stars from all over the world: nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, five-time 500cc MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan, 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, 13-time F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard, NASCAR champion Kurt Busch, 2014 World Touring Car Champion José-Maria López, V8 Supercar legend Jamie Whincup, Williams F1 official test driver Susie Wolff, 2014 FIA European F3 Champion Esteban Ocon and 2014 FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg will all be racing in Barbados.

Palmer said: "It's been a dream year for me in GP2 and finishing as the champion is the absolute crowning glory. Last week's Formula 1 test was amazing too - and now I'm thrilled to be invited to the Race Of Champions. It looks like a great event: at this time of year it's nice to see all the top guys going for it in a no-pressure situation. The competitive part will of course come when I put the helmet on but I'm looking forward to being part of the show and having fun out there.

''The line-up contains plenty of legends in their own field, which is what makes it such a special event - to see Mick Doohan competing against the likes of Tom Kristensen, Jamie Whincup, F1 drivers and other champions. The cars seem great fun to drive as well, with a lot of power and the chance to slide them around. Making quick switches between them is something you don't often get to do so it will be a driving challenge. And I've never been to Barbados before so I'm looking forward to that too…"

ROC organiser Fredrik Johnsson added: "Jolyon has dominated the GP2 Series in 2014 and it will be fascinating to see what he can do in the Race Of Champions. We always aim to pull together a mix of all the best motor sport series and this year is no exception with greats from F1, Le Mans, MotoGP, IndyCar, NASCAR, World Rally, Rallycross and Touring Cars. As the reigning champion in the GP2 series with some of the world's best young chargers, Jolyon is sure to be a contender in Barbados."

The Race Of Champions, which has been held for over 25 years, brings together the world's greatest drivers from motor sport's major disciplines and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a unique track with two parallel lanes linked by a crossover bridge. The ROC weekend features over 60 individual duels.