The 2002 Race of Champions took place on November 29 to December 1 at Gran Canaria. It was the 15th running of the event, and the 11th at Gran Canaria.

The vehicles used were the Peugeot 206 WRC, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Group N, the SEAT Córdoba WRC and the ROC Buggy.

The individual competition was won by Marcus Grönholm, whilst the Nations' Cup was won by USA with Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Colin Edwards.

Participants CountryRacing DriverRally DriverMotorcycle RacerFrance Sébastien Bourdais Sébastien Loeb Mickaël MaschioUnited States Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Colin EdwardsGreat Britain James Thompson Robbie Head James HaydonFinland JJ Lehto Marcus Grönholm Kari TiainenSpain Fernando Alonso Jesús Puras Carlos ChecaSweden Kenny Brack Thomas Rådström Tony RickardssonItaly Fabrizio Giovanardi Renato Travaglia Marco MelandriGermany Nick Heidfeld Walter Röhrl Pit BeirerBrazil Cristiano da Matta Antônio Pizzonia Alex Barros

Junior Rally Masters

Group stage DriverRacesWinsLossesBest Time François Duval3302:12.00 Francisco Suárez3212:17.47 Dani Solà3122:17.54 Niall McShea3032:18.09

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 François Duval 2:15.37 Dani Solà 2:19.26 Francisco Suárez 2:19.89 Niall McShea 2:22.01 Niall McShea 2:19.76 François Duval 2:14.01 Dani Solà 2:19.58 Francisco Suárez 2:17.47 Francisco Suárez 2:15.41 François Duval 2:12.00 Dani Solà 2:17.54 Niall McShea 2:18.09

Final

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 François Duval 2:10.92 Francisco Suárez 2:13.52 François Duval 2:00.99 Francisco Suárez 2:05.28

Nations' Cup

Group stage

Group A Pos. Team Races Wins Losses Total Time Driver Wins Losses Best Time 1 Finland 6 4 2 5:54.06 Marcus Grönholm201:57.55 JJ Lehto02 1:55.91 Kari Tiainen202:00.60 2 Sweden 6 4 2 5:56.11 Thomas Rådström111:58.02 Kenny Brack201:52.96 Tony Rickardsson112:05.13 3 UK 6 1 5 6:01.47 Robbie Head021:58.93 James Thompson111:54.45 James Haydon022:08.09

Team 1 Time 1 Score Team 2 Time 2 UK 1–2 Finland James Haydon 2:08.09 Kari Tiainen 2:03.86 James Thompson 1:56.80 JJ Lehto 1:57.34 Robbie Head 2:03.07 Marcus Grönholm 1:59.69 Finland 2–1 Sweden Kari Tiainen 2:00.60 Tony Rickardsson 2:05.13 JJ Lehto 1:55.91 Kenny Brack 1:54.51 Marcus Grönholm 1:57.55 Thomas Rådström 2:00.06 Sweden 3–0 UK Tony Rickardsson 2:06.49 James Haydon DNF Kenny Brack 1:52.96 James Thompson 1:54.45 Thomas Rådström 1:58.02 Robbie Head 1:58.93

Group B Pos. Team Races Wins Losses Total Time Driver Wins Losses Best Time 1 Italy 6 5 1 5:46.71 Renato Travaglia111:56.80 Fabrizio Giovanardi201:52.67 Marco Melandri201:57.24 2 France 6 3 3 5:47.11 Sébastien Loeb201:55.95 Sébastien Bourdais021:53.54 Mickaël Maschio111:57.62 3 Germany 6 1 5 5:55.80 Walter Röhrl021:56.89 Nick Heidfeld111:53.44 Pit Beirer02 2:05.47

Team 1 Time 1 Score Team 2 Time 2 Italy 3–0 Marco Melandri 2:00.46 Pit Beirer 2:05.47 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:53.40 Nick Heidfeld 1:55.41 Renato Travaglia 1:57.44 Walter Röhrl 2:14.35 1–2 France Pit Beirer 2:07.68 Mickaël Maschio 1:59.29 Nick Heidfeld 1:53.44 Sébastien Bourdais 1:53.60 Walter Röhrl 1:56.89 Sébastien Loeb 1:56.41 1–2 Italy Mickaël Maschio 1:57.62 Marco Melandri 1:57.24 Sébastien Bourdais 1:53.54 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:52.67 Sébastien Loeb 1:55.95 Renato Travaglia 1:56.80

France made the semi-finals by having the fastest times of the losing teams.

Group C Pos. Team Races Wins Losses Total Time Driver Wins Losses Best Time 1 USA 6 4 2 5:48.42 Jimmie Johnson111:58.52 Jeff Gordon111:53.44 Colin Edwards201:56.43 2 Spain 6 4 2 5:50.61 Jesús Puras201:57.60 Fernando Alonso121:53.84 Carlos Checa111:59.17 3 Brazil 6 1 5 5:59.08 Antônio Pizzonia022:02.53 Cristiano da Matta111:58.26 Alex Barros02 1:58.29

Team 1 Time 1 Score Team 2 Time 2 USA 2–1 Brazil Colin Edwards 1:56.97 Alex Barros 1:58.29 Jeff Gordon 2:07.03 Cristiano da Matta 2:03.48 Jimmie Johnson 2:02.44 Antônio Pizzonia 2:04.36 Brazil 0–3 Spain Alex Barros 1:59.42 Carlos Checa 1:59.27 Cristiano da Matta 1:58.26 Fernando Alonso 1:54.07 Antônio Pizzonia 2:02.53 Jesús Puras 1:58.81 1–2 USA Carlos Checa 1:59.17 Colin Edwards 1:56.43 Fernando Alonso 1:53.84 Jeff Gordon 1:53.47 Jesús Puras 1:57.60 Jimmie Johnson 1:58.52

Best Times Pos.RallyRacingMotorcycle Driver Best Time Driver Best Time Driver Best Time 1 Sébastien Loeb 1:55.95 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:52.67 Colin Edwards 1:56.43 2 Renato Travaglia 1:56.80 Kenny Brack 1:52.96 Marco Melandri 1:57.24 3 Walter Röhrl 1:56.89 Nick Heidfeld 1:53.44 Mickaël Maschio 1:57.62 4 Marcus Grönholm 1:57.55 Jeff Gordon 1:53.44 Alex Barros 1:58.29 5 Jesús Puras 1:57.60 Sébastien Bourdais 1:53.54 Carlos Checa 1:59.17 6 Thomas Rådström 1:58.02 Fernando Alonso 1:53.84 Kari Tiainen 2:00.60 7 Jimmie Johnson 1:58.52 James Thompson 1:54.45 Tony Rickardsson 2:05.13 8 Robbie Head 1:58.93 JJ Lehto 1:55.91 Pit Beirer 2:05.47 9 Antônio Pizzonia 2:02.53 Cristiano da Matta 1:58.26 James Haydon 2:08.09

Knockout stage

Semifinals

Team 1 Time 1 Score Team 2 Time 2 Finland 1–3 Italy Kari Tiainen 2:01.71 Marco Melandri 1:57.85 JJ Lehto 1:56.60 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:55.27 Marcus Grönholm 1:58.58 Renato Travaglia 2:00.50 Kari Tiainen 1:59.99 Marco Melandri 1:56.91 USA 3–2 Colin Edwards 1:57.67 Mickaël Maschio 1:58.84 Jeff Gordon 2:04.94 (penalty) Sébastien Bourdais 1:54.27 Jimmie Johnson 1:58.11 Sébastien Loeb 1:58.02 Colin Edwards 1:56.25 Mickaël Maschio DNF Jeff Gordon 1:53.20 Sébastien Bourdais 1:56.47

Final

Team 1 Time 1 Score Team 2 Time 2 Italy 1–3 USA Marco Melandri 1:57.25 Colin Edwards 1:56.16 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:54.02 Jeff Gordon 1:53.87 Renato Travaglia 1:54.01 Jimmie Johnson 1:54.67 Marco Melandri 3:04.83 Colin Edwards 2:12.99

Race of Champions

Participation in the main Race of Champions was awarded primarily on the basis of having the best times in the Nations' Cup. There were several exceptions to this rule however – Harri Rovanperä, as the defending champion, was guaranteed a spot, whilst Colin Edwards, despite having the best time among motorcyclists in the Nations' Cup, did not participate. François Duval secured his place by winning the Junior event, Luis Monzón won the Spanish Masters event, and Stig Blomqvist was an invited 'seeded' driver. Jimmie Johnson received a 'wild-card' entry, replacing Nations' Cup teammate Jeff Gordon who was sidelined by food poisoning.

Group stage

Group A

DriverRacesWinsLossesBest Time François Duval3211:54.15 Luis Monzón3211:55.80 Stig Blomqvist3121:55.23 Jesús Puras3121:57.27

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 Jesús Puras 1:57.27 Stig Blomqvist 1:58.06 Jesús Puras 1:57.62 François Duval 1:55.20 Jesús Puras 1:56.74 Luis Monzón 1:55.80 François Duval 1:54.60 Stig Blomqvist 1:55.44 Stig Blomqvist 1:55.23 Luis Monzón DNF François Duval 2:04.15 (penalty) Luis Monzón 1:56.95

Group B

DriverRacesWinsLossesBest Time Kenny Brack3301:54.92 Marco Melandri3211:53.74 Renato Travaglia3121:58.96 Fabrizio Giovanardi3031:54.50

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:58.98 Renato Travaglia 1:58.96 Kenny Brack 1:55.44 Renato Travaglia 1:56.61 Renato Travaglia 1:56.62 Marco Melandri 1:55.17 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:55.55 Kenny Brack 1:54.92 Fabrizio Giovanardi 1:54.50 Marco Melandri 1:53.74 Marco Melandri Withdrew Kenny Brack Bye

Knockout stage

Quarterfinals

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 Marcus Grönholm 1:57.71 Jimmie Johnson 1:57.94 Marcus Grönholm 1:53.29 Jimmie Johnson DNF Marco Melandri DNF François Duval 2:02.30 Marco Melandri 3:18.78 François Duval 2:26.20 Sébastien Loeb 1:57.85 Luis Monzón 2:00.49 Sébastien Loeb 1:57.87 Luis Monzón 1:58.87 Harri Rovanperä 1:58.28 Kenny Brack 1:58.88 Harri Rovanperä 1:54.46 Kenny Brack 1:53.98 Harri Rovanperä 1:54.32 Kenny Brack 2:40.90

Semifinals

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 Marcus Grönholm 1:59.32 François Duval 2:25.41 Marcus Grönholm 1:52.65 François Duval DNF Sébastien Loeb 1:57.19 Harri Rovanperä 1:57.88 Sébastien Loeb 1:53.81 Harri Rovanperä 1:54.81

Final

Driver 1 Time 1 Driver 2 Time 2 Marcus Grönholm 1:53.07 Sébastien Loeb 1:53.15 Marcus Grönholm 1:52.05 Sébastien Loeb 1:51.54 Marcus Grönholm 1:51.87 Sébastien Loeb 1:52.74

References

External links https://web.archive.org/web/20030623223347/http://www.carreradecampeones.org/