Johnson struggles at Race of Champions in England

Mattias Ekstrom, the 2006 Race of Champions winner, pulled off the seemingly impossible at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, beating the ever-dominant Michael Schumacher in The Race of Champions final.

Taking the battle down to the wire, both superstars claimed one win each in the best-of-three final. In the last heat, Ekstrom built up a small lead on Schumacher, who pulled out all the stops trying to catch him. It was not to be however, as the German spun his car in a dash for the checkered flag.

"I didn't start off very good but it's turned out to be a nice event," Ekstrom said. "At the end of the day everybody wants to win the ROC. To come here in front of all the spectators to this nice event, for me I really enjoy it every time."

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson didn't fare well in the exhibition event. Johnson lost to Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais in the first round.

"I missed my breaking point before the tunnel, I under-steered and this mistake made me lose the race even though I was ahead," Johnson said after the race. "Not a good day for me but maybe I'll see you next year."

Overall it wasn't a successful trip across the pond for Johnson. Earlier in the day, Johnson lost to seven-time Formula 1 champ Schumacher in the ROC Nations Cup which takes two drivers from each country in a battle to see which country is the fastest.

The United States, featuring Johnson and eight-time X Games champion Travis Pastrana, lost to Germany in the first round.