International Race of Champions
 | |
| Category | Stock car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1974 |
| Drivers | 12 |
| Constructors | Porsche, Chevrolet, Dodge, Pontiac |
| Drivers' champion |  Tony Stewart |
| Official website | https://www.iroc-racing.com/ |
International Race of Champions (IROC) is a North American auto racing competition, created by Les Richter, Roger Penske and Mike Phelps, promoted as an American-motorsports equivalent of an all-star game. Despite its name, IROC is primarily associated with North American oval track racing.
Drivers raced identically-prepared
In 2007, IROC could not find a sponsor and postponed the first two races at Daytona and Texas.[1] IROC went on hiatus in 2007 hoping to return with a sponsor in 2008, which did not happen. In March 2008, IROC auctioned off its tools, equipment, cars, and memorabilia, and went out of business.[2] On January 8, 2024, Ray Evernham alongside Rob Kauffman announced the series would relaunch in 2024 with the intent of 1 race while exploring future opportunities afterwards.
Drivers
The drivers invited were from a broad range of racing disciplines:
Due to its fundamental
Car identification
Through 2003, IROC was also known for its rainbow of car colors being easily recognized from all other racing series. Car numbers were utilized for scoring purposes, but were not the primary means of identification. Instead, the drivers' surname would appear on the door of the car. Exceptions were made when Mario and Michael Andretti raced in the same events. In those cases, their first name was used. The numbers would change from race to race, with the number 1 being given to the driver starting first, and so on. The colors would correspond to the numbers. Before the races, drivers were assigned via blind drawing, as was how the starting grid for the first race was determined. The finishing order of the race would be inverted for the second race's starting grid, while the reverse of the points standings determined races three and four's grids. Numbers were assigned by the starting position. After the first race, the numbers would be assigned based on points standings.[3]
In 2004, the alcoholic beverage company, Diageo became the series' title sponsor, utilising their Crown Royal brand whiskey, replacing True Value, and the procedure changed, as well. Cars would be identically painted in white, with trim which could be changed to represent the driver's colors in his regular racing series. Also, a driver's number in IROC would be his regular number. Thus, Steve Kinser would use green trim with the No. 11, and Matt Kenseth's car featured yellow trim with No. 17.
The only exception to the numbering scheme involves the number 3. Following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, IROC retired the use of No. 3. Any driver with that regular number would use No. 03 instead. Hélio Castroneves raced with No. 03, but the car kept red trim, in reflection of his IndyCar being red.
If there was a numbering conflict, another number would be substituted. In most cases, for one-digit numbers, a zero would be added in front. Otherwise a historically notable number would be run. (Penske drivers, for one instance, could use No. 66, owing to Mark Donohue.)
Road racing
From its inception to 1991, the series contested at least one race per season on a
From 1992 to 2005, the IROC season was exclusively run on ovals. In 2006, road courses were reintroduced to the IROC series with the cars competing on the road course at
Legacy
The International Race of Champions series was beloved by NASCAR and international fans alike, as drivers from several different disciplines could be seen competing on a level playing field. During the hiatus of motorsports due to the
In 2021, final IROC champion Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham launched Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) based on the IROC concept of identical cars and an all-star cast of drivers from different racing series.[5]
Points system
| Pos.[3] | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 21 |
| 2nd | 17 |
| 3rd | 14 |
| 4th | 12 |
| 5th | 10 |
| 6th | 9 |
| 7th | 8 |
| 8th | 7 |
| 9th | 6 |
| 10th | 5 |
| 11th | 4 |
| 12th | 3 |
Bonuses
| |
| Most laps led | 5 |
| 2nd-most laps led | 3 |
| 3rd-most laps led | 2 |
Purse
| Pos. | Purse[3] |
|---|---|
| Champion | $225,000 |
| 2nd | $100,000 |
| 3rd | $60,000 |
| 4th | $50,000 |
| 5th | $45,000 |
| 6th–12th | $40,000 |
Champions
- 1985: Three races only as the third scheduled race was cancelled due to rain.
- 1990: Three races only because of new sponsor Dodge and the late start to the season (Talladega, Cleveland, Michigan). After Pepsi 400the day before the Cleveland IROC race, he was not replaced for the final two races.
- 1993: Davey Allison was killed in a helicopter crash after three races had been completed, and only the final race, at Michigan International Speedway, was remaining. Terry Labonte was asked to drive the final race, and Allison's and Labonte's points combined were enough for the IROC championship. Labonte's winnings went to a trust fund for Allison's two children, Krista and Robbie. Alan Kulwicki had been killed in a plane crash earlier in the year after two races had been run, and Dale Earnhardt was chosen to replace him to complete a 12-driver field, with all winnings going to charities chosen by the Kulwicki family.
- 2001: After Dale Earnhardt was killed in the Daytona 500, IROC went to only eleven cars for the remaining three races. Following a 2004 rule change in IROC where drivers would be using their personal numbers, IROC added one exception – the number 3 could not be used. Any driver whose number in a series is 3 would have to have used 03 in IROC.
- 2005: With the 2005 IROC title and the subsequent termination of the series, Martin now is the all-time leader in IROC Championship titles with five. Also during the 2005 season, Martin took over the all-time record for IROC wins with thirteen.
Number of years raced by car
| Car | Years |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Camaro | 12 |
| Pontiac Trans Am | 11 |
| Dodge Daytona | 4 |
| Dodge Avenger | 2 |
| Porsche Carrera RSR | 1 |
See also
- Race of Champions
- Race of Champions (Brands Hatch)
- Fast Masters
- Grand Prix Masters
- Superstar Racing Experience
References
- ^ IROC SERIES DELAYS START OF 2007 SEASON : Series Seeking Title Sponsorship Archived 2007-03-09 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved March 9, 2007
- ^ Race2Win Archived 2008-06-23 at the Wayback Machine IROC Goes to Auction
- ^ a b c "Jeff's IROC Statistics". Gordon Online. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ^ "FS1's Wednesday Night iRacing Pays Tribute to IROC". 15 April 2020.
- ^ Fenwick, Adam (July 13, 2020). "Stewart & Evernham Launching Superstar Racing Experience". Speed Sport. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
Further reading
- Stone, Matt (2021). The IROC Porsches: The International Race of Champions, Porsche's 911 RSR, and the Men Who Raced Them. Beverly, MA, USA: Motorbooks. ISBN 9780760368251.
External links
Media related to International Race of Champions at Wikimedia Commons
- IROC Series Page - Racing-Reference.info Archived 2019-03-31 at the Wayback Machine