Gordon: rally drivers to have edge

Twenty drivers from many different motorsport disciplines are competing in tomorrow's event with 'racers' and 'ralliers' facing their own separate sudden-death knock-out competition, and the winners of each facing off in a best of three super final to determine the Champion of Champions.

After free practice on the one kilometre, figure of eight, asphalt track today, Gordon believes the ralliers will have the slight edge in the competition, because they are more used to handling cars at the limit around narrow courses.

"The track is totally different to anything other than the rally drivers compete on and the cars are different to anything we compete with other than the rally guys," Gordon told autosport.com. "I feel like a lot of us are on equal ground, other than maybe the few who competed at this event last year.

"The course is about getting tuned to the car as quickly as possible. I've driven a lot of different types of cars on more than just ovals, but primarily I spent my time on more banked turns. The Race of Champions creates a challenge and one that I look forward too.

"There is only a certain limit you can take that which is why it is an advantage to be a rallier. They go so fast because they can put that car on the edge because they are doing it all the time. Basically trying to drive the car straight, some kind used to traction control some guys used to downforce. That's what I love about this whole event. This is something that none of us experience.

"Its pretty much second gear all the way around. You might use first gear in the RoC buggy, not is it tight and narrow but considering how wet it was today you can't get off line."

The racers, including Gordon, compete for their part of the event with the Renault Megane Trophy car and a Porsche 911 GT3 car, and the ralliers will face off in a Citroen Xsara WRC and the bespoke Race of Champions buggies cars.

"I loved the technology and overall experience of the Renault Megane Trophy car and I'd love to get it out on a longer race track and drive it," said Gordon.

"The Renault is a great car but this is a tough track for the Porsche, it is really not set up for this track. It just creates another challenge and we all have that same challenge. That's what we were doing today and finding where the cars' limits were and where you have to be really smooth."

Gordon caused minor damage to the back of one of the event's Porsche 911 GT3 when he backed it into a concrete wall this morning around the fight figure of eight superspecial.

"It was only minor damage on the back bumper," Gordon added. "The course is very tight. You are not only trying to get around this circuit, but you are trying not to hit anything. It is hard from that perspective, let alone staying off the barriers. You are trying to push the car to the edge but you can't touch them."