Jimmie Johnson, Colton Herta finished second behind Petter, Oliver Solberg at Race of Champions
Petter and Oliver Solberg’s father-son duo beat the surprisingly competitive US team of Colton Herta and Jimmie Johnson on the frozen Baltic to win the Nations Cup Race.
Team Norway was led on Saturday by Petter Solberg, 47, 2003 World Rally champion and two-time World Rallycross champion. His son, Oliver, is a 20-year-old tank racer.
The knockout-style event was held on a field covered with snow and ice in Pite Havsbad, Sweden, 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
Herta was a last-minute replacement for Travis Pastrana, who broke his back and hip in a BASE jumping accident late last month. The 21-year-old IndyCar star leaves for Sweden after leading his team to a classy win on Sunday at the Rolex 24 in Daytona.
Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR champion who is aiming for a full IndyCar season this month, has returned to the ROC for a second time. He represented the United States with Jeff Gordon in a nasty 2002 victory in Spain.
“Who would have thought that two California boys would be here on ice and finish second in the Nations Championship Race,” Johnson said in a social media video. “A great day for both of us. I think we surprised ourselves. Then I really thought we had a shot in the final.
“I had car and engine breakdowns, which cost me my chance in the first lap. Come back and win the Porsche. Colton was at the right pace and just got to the Solberg family for a bit. Just a day. Super fun. We’ve exceeded our expectations and are looking forward to some fun tonight.”
2nd!!!#ROCSweden #Team America pic.twitter.com/bzHIchdhSg
– Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) February 5, 2022
Johnson was scheduled to compete Sunday for the title of “Champion of Champions” in the individual ROC category.
Herta and Johnson advanced to Saturday’s semi-finals by beating four-time Formula One champions Germany Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher.
They then took down Team Finland, with Herta beating two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen to send Team America into the final. Herta faces four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in the first round.
World Event “Snow + Ice” Race of champions pits racers against each other on a variety of electric-powered vehicles.
