The IROC, or the International Race of Champions, is a unique series that aims to bring together the best drivers in the world and pit them against each other on the race track to decide who the top dog is. It ran at full steam between 1973 and 2006 before withering away. In 2024, it was revitalized for the modern generation by the legendary crew chief Ray Evernham and Robb Kauffman.
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Last August, some of the most notable drivers in NASCAR and IROC history gathered at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as a part of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. With past IROC machines featuring in the Unser Family Cup competition, it proved to be a special moment for every individual associated with IROC in the past and the present.
Speaking on Kenny Wallace’s YouTube show recently, Evernham detailed how incredible this event was and further delved into what the future of the series looked like.
He said, “We’ve located about 65 original IROC cars around the world. We had a tremendous show at Rolex Monterey with Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Ken Schrader, Dario Franchitti, Scott Pruett, Bill Elliott…”
“So, a great, great group of drivers. And we’re already working on 2026. We’re going to have our next event on April 9th, 10th, 11th at the Heritage event at the new Charlotte… the 1010 Motor Club track that Rick Hendrick and Marcus Smith have partnered up on. So, and then again, we’ll be back at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca in August 2026.”
Several of the drivers who were a part of the event were past IROC competitors and piloted cars that they’d already driven. For instance, Kurt Busch’s machine was a Pontiac Firebird that he drove in the 2003 IROC finale. Between that and the other drivers, the event ended up being a true trip back to the past.
Busch’s excitement was seen in every other competitor. He said before the race, “Just congratulations to Ray Evernham, Rob Kauffman, the whole IROC group. The fraternity of drivers that showed up, I’m just a kid pinching myself. This is way cool. It’s the cars that I used to watch as a kid, and I’m out here racing. It’s been fun.”
The reunion’s success increases the hype for future IROC developments on a massive scale.
