Jessica Gomes to race in the Mazda6 Celebrity Challenge at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix

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Australian model Jessica Gomes just strutted her stuff down the David Jones Autumn/Winter 2013 runway with Miranda Kerr last week, now news has just emerged that she is set to show off a new set of skills – her driving skills – at the 2013 Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix during the Mazda6 Celebrity Challenge.

While she might look better track side (or waving the checkered flag at the end of the race), Gomes adds some glamour to a field that includes Olympic champions, sporting stars, reality TV stars, a chef and socialites, we’re excited to see the Sports Illustrated model take to the track in her Mazda6. Not that Gomes expects to place first, but with a bit of practise, who knows.

“I’m a pretty competitive person, so we’ll see how I go on the day,” said Gomes. “I’m not setting my expectations too high because I need a bit of practice first and get a feel for what it’s like, because this is the first time I’m actually going to be racing a car!”

The confirmed drivers for the 2013 Mazda6 Celebrity Challenge include:

  • Sir Chris Hoy MBE
  • Matthew Cowdrey OAM
  • Anna Meares OAM
  • Em Rusciano
  • Mark Beretta
  • Rachel Finch
  • Shane Delia
  • Chris Tarrant
  • Ruby Rose
  • Magdelena Roze
  • Jessica Gomes

[UPDATE] It has just been announced that Australian designer Wayne Cooper and model/VJ Kate Peck will also take to the track as well.

The Mazda6 Celebrity Challenge takes place before the big race on Sunday March 17th, 2013 and we plan to be there, after all L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival kick off the follow day.

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Long time readers of this blog should know of our addiction to watching car racing (which baffles many of our fashion friends when we discuss our previous visits to NAIAS, the F1 and Bathurst 12 hour), but did you know that fashion and cars often go together more often than you may think?

Case in point: Mercedes Benz and their sponsorship of fashion weeks all over the world. Not to mention one of Heidi Klum‘s baby daddies is Flavio Briatore (the former boss of Renult’s F1 team, also ex boyfriend of Naomi Campbell) and a very long time ago, Gucci once upon a time had a hand in designing cars in Europe?