By Jonathan Lopez, GM Authority /
Way back in 1974, Roger Penske, Les Richter, and Mike Phelps got together to create the International Race of Champions, or IROC, serving as a sort of all-star racing series between drivers from across the motorsport spectrum, including Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, and sports car racing. The series was held annually from its inception until 2006, but after taking an extended hiatus, the series recently returned to run at Lime Rock Park last month. As expected, the revived IROC once again brought out a slew of racing legends, including drivers and vehicles.
The IROC series was revived by Ray Evernham and Rob Kauffman, who purchased the brand to officially relaunch the series and restore it to its former glory. The organizers focused on finding and restoring original series race cars, including iconic models like the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Dodge Avenger, and others with historical significance and a history with legendary drivers.
Notably, the IROC series has particularly close associations with the Chevy Camaro, which offered the IROC-Z model line as a hat tip to the series.
The first event for the revived racing series was held at Lime Rock Park in the summer of 2024 after an 18-year hiatus. The revival included participation from original series drivers like Geoff Brabham, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Danny Sullivan, and Al Unser Jr. The 2024 event also included 21 original race cars, with nearly every IROC generation represented in the lineup, up to the final 2006 running.
In a 20-minute video documentary, Hagerty highlights the recent 2024 event, talking to the folks that brought the series back, the history of the series, some of the vintage vehicles that hit the track, some of the more notable drivers who participated, and other event coverage.
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