Team Norway Denies Team USA In ROC Nations Cup

PITEA, Sweden – The father-son duo of Petter and Oliver Solberg gave Team Norway its first victory in the Race of Champions Nations Cup Saturday, denying the surprisingly strong Team USA duo of Jimmie Johnson and Colton Herta.

The Solberg family became the first family team to win the Nations Cup.

Driving a variety of cars on the frozen Baltic Sea in the first Race of Champions Snow + Ice, the Solberg duo won three of the four heats against Johnson and Herta to claim the victory for Norway. 

Petter Solberg won the opening race, contested in Polaris Pro XP Side-by-Sides, when Johnson’s machine suffered a mechanical issue at the starting line. Oliver Solberg then proceeded to defeat Herta in the second race. Johnson gave Team USA some hope with a win in heat three, when both drivers wheeled the rear-wheel-drive Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Team USA’s dream of a shock Nations Cup win ended when Petter Solberg defeated Herta in the final heat.

“You have no idea how much this means. I won the Nations’ Cup before (as Team Nordic with Tom Kristensen in 2014), but that was nothing like this,” said Petter Solberg. To work so closely with Oliver and to win together was something very, very special.

“I tell you, for a father, to compete with their son against some of the best guys in the world and win is something to make you very, very proud. Oliver was very cool for all of the races, no problem, no mistakes, nothing. He just gets on and drives.”

“Winning is everything to me and my Dad, so to be able to do this in Sweden is really nice – I think my Mum is really making a big smile right now,” said Oliver Solberg.

In order to get to the finals, the Solberg family had to defeat some of auto racing’s best. They first defeated Mattias Ekstrom and Timmy Hansen of Team Sweden before stopping Tom Kristensen and Johan Kristoffersson of Team Nordic. 

For Johnson and Herta, the battle was a bit more difficult. First they ousted Helio Castroneves and Benito Guerra of Team Latin America before shocking Team Germany drivers Sebastian Vettel and Mick Schumacher in the quarterfinals. They then defeated Team Finland’s Mika Hakkinen and W Series driver Emma Kimilainen to advance to the final.

Herta was a late addition to the Race of Champions, replacing injured driver Travis Pastrana.