ROAD’s December Christmas issue, “Motorsport Monsters”, features TV presenter, Neil Cole, who’s writing a new monthly motorsport column for us – “Cole Position”. Neil’s first column comes from the epic Race of Champions (RoC) in Dusseldorf and it’s fabulous!

No doubt you recognise Neil as the presenter of World Rally Championship (WRC) on Sky TV channel DAVE, a role he performed with gusto from 2008 to 2010.

For 2011, Neil joined motorsport commentators John Hindhaugh and Bruce Jones at the Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, providing behind-the-scenes access to many of the world’s best drivers including Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and Tom Kristensen.

Neil Cole interviewing Jenson Button at the 2011 Race of Champions.

Also in this issue, we celebrate some motorsport monsters: Road USA correspondent, Ashley Van Dyke reports on the NASCAR Sprint Cup series from the desert city of Avondale – rumbling V8’s, huge speeds and concrete walls and all. Yee-haa!

Ashley Van Dyke reports from the Avondale round of the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

We also report from Bedford Autodrome, where news has broken that PalmerSport will be running a fleet of amazing Ariel Atoms in 2012, with new Sadev sequential gearboxes in tow. Oh my!

And we’ve already booked a seat to set a hot lap time there in 2012, to see if Road can get up the top of the new “Supergrid” leaderboard. Bring it on! We love Atoms.

Ford Escort Mk1 replica – Is there a more captivating sight for rally enthusiasts?

Finally, we’ve got a wonderful shoot by Road staff snapper, Neil Denham, on Hannu Mikkola’s Safari-rally-winning Mk1 Escort, an exacting replica, built by rally lover, Gordon Currie.

Merry Christmas guys & gals from everyone at ROAD.

ROAD Editor, Phil Royle.