IROC at Indy was an auto race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....

, from 1998 through 2003, as a support race to the Brickyard 400. It was part of the International Race of Champions

International Race of Champions

International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...

 series, and served as the season finale each of the six years it was run.

In March 1992, IROC drivers Dave Marcis

Dave Marcis

Dave Marcis is a retired driver on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit whose career spanned five decades. Marcis won five times over this tenure, twice at Richmond, including his final win in 1982...

 and Dick Trickle

Dick Trickle

Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...

 were invited to test at the Speedway. At the time, the Speedway was considering hosting an IROC event during the month of May, during activities leading up the Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

. The test was considered successful, but several improvements would have to be made to the track before it was safe for modern stock cars to race there. After much consideration, it was determined that it would not be economically feasible to hold an IROC race, and plans for that event were put on hold. It was not until a NASCAR race, the Brickyard 400, was scheduled that the necessary facility improvements were made to accommodate stock cars.

As with all IROC races, there were no qualification sessions held. Grid positions were determined on a handicap basis, with starting positions opposite to the current points standings. All cars were identically prepared stock cars, based upon the Pontiac Trans Am. The cars were prepared and serviced by the series, rather than by a team which employed the driver.

By winning the IROC event in 1998-1999-2000, Mark Martin

Mark Martin

Mark Martin may refer to:* Mark Martin , American racecar driver* Mark Martin , American cartoonist* Mark Martin , American judge* Mark Martin , British murderer...

 became the first driver to "three-peat

Three-peat

Three-peat is a contraction of the words three and repeat, which has been trademarked for commercial use by retired basketball coach Pat Riley; the active trademarks in force are registered under numbers 1552980, 1878690, and 1886018...

" any single annual event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Due to dwindling interest, the IROC race was removed from the IMS schedule after 2003 and, following the 2006 season, the IROC series itself folded.

Race Results

Year	Date	Day	Winning Driver	Race Distance		Time of Race	Winning Speed	Starting Cars	Lead Changes
				Miles	Laps
1998 IROC XXII The twenty-second season of the International Race of Champions started on February 13, 1998. The series used identically prepared Pontiac Firebird Trans Am race cars, and contested races at Daytona International Speedway1, California Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, and Indianapolis...	July 31	Friday	Mark Martin	100	40	00:38:21	156.386 mph	12	1
1999 IROC XXIII The twenty-third season of IROC, the , started on February 12, 1999. IROC XXIII was the year that witnessed the closest race and points battle ever. It was held at Michigan International Speedway in which Dale Earnhardt beat his son Dale Earnhardt Jr...	Aug 6	Friday	Mark Martin	100	40	00:38:52	157.374 mph	12	2
2000 IROC XXIV he twenty-fourth season of the International Race of Champions started on February 18, 2000. The series used identically prepared Pontiac Firebird Trans Am race cars, and contested races at Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Michigan International Speedway, and Indianapolis...	Aug 4	Friday	Mark Martin	100	40	00:38:41	155.106 mph	12	2
2001 IROC XXV The 25th season of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions began on Friday, February 16, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway. The initial roster included 12 drivers from four separate Racing Leagues...	Aug 4	Saturday	Bobby Labonte Bobby Labonte Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger/Clorox/Kimberly-Clark/Kingsford/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry for JTG Daugherty Racing. He currently resides in Trinity, North Carolina. He is married to his wife...	100	40	00:38:39	155.239 mph	11	3
2002 IROC XXVI The 26th season of the True Value International Race of Champions began on Friday, February 15, 2002 at Daytona International Speedway. The roster included 12 drivers from five separate racing leagues. The first race saw Tony Stewart earn his second IROC win. Rookie Kevin Harvick won in only his...	Aug 3	Saturday	Dale Jarrett Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...	100	40	00:37:57	158.137 mph	11	0
2003 IROC XXVII The 25th season of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions began on Friday, February 14, 2003 at Daytona International Speedway. The roster included 12 drivers from five separate racing leagues. The first race saw Mark Martin tie an IROC record 11 career wins, tying him with Al Unser, Jr....	Aug 2	Saturday	Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....	100	40	00:44:21	135.287 mph	12	1

Event Records

	Year	Driver
Fastest Race	2002	Dale Jarrett Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...	Time: 32:29.3233	Speed: 158.137 mph	100 Miles	40 Laps
Most Wins by a Driver	1998; 1999; 2000	Mark Martin	3 Wins
Most Starts by a Driver	1998-2002	Dale Jarrett Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...	5 Starts

Drivers

In the six years that this race was contested, 38 drivers participated:

Driver:	Starts:		Best Finish:		Laps Led:
	Number	Years	Position	Year
Greg Biffle	1	2003	7	2003	0
Mike Bliss	1	2003	10	2003	0
Kenny Brack	2	1999; 2001	3	2001	0
Jeff Burton	4	1998 through 2001	7	1999	19
Kurt Busch	1	2003	4	2003	0
Helio Castroneves	2	2002; 2003	2	2002	20
Eddie Cheever, Jr.	3	1999; 2000; 2001	3	1999	4
Mark Dismore	2	2000; 2001	9	2001	6
Dale Earnhardt	3	1998; 1999; 2000	2	2000	0
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	2	1999; 2000	9	2000	0
Jeff Gordon	3	1998; 1999; 2000	2	1999	2
Jeff Green	1	2001	8	2001	0
Kevin Harvick	2	2002; 2003	2	2003	0
Sam Hornish, Jr.	2	2002; 2003	10	2002	0
Dale Jarrett	5	1998 through 2002	1	2002	40
Jimmie Johnson	1	2003	1	2003	20
Tommy Kendall	1	1998	10	1998	0
Steve Kinser	1	2003	9	2003	0
Bobby Labonte	4	1999 through 2002	1	2001	17
Terry Labonte	1	1998	5	1998	0
Randy LaJoie	1	1998	4	1998	0
Danny Lasoski	1	2003	12	2003	0
Buddy Lazier	2	2001; 2002	4	2002	0
Arie Luyendyk	1	1998	11	1998	0
Dave Marcis	1	1999	9	1999	0
Sterling Marlin	1	2002	7	2002	0
Mark Martin	4	1998; 1999; 2000; 2003	1	1998; 1999; 2000	68
Greg Moore	1	1999	12	1999	0
Ryan Newman	1	2003	3	2003	0
Greg Ray	1	2000	10	2000	0
Ricky Rudd	1	2001	6	2001	0
Ken Schrader	1	2002	3	2002	0
Scott Sharp	2	2002; 2003	6	2003	0
Jack Sprague	1	2002	6	2002	0
Tony Stewart	4	1998; 2000; 2001; 2002	2	2001	8
Al Unser, Jr.	2	1998; 2001	2	1998	0
Jimmy Vasser	1	1998	3	1998	36
Rusty Wallace	2	1999; 2000	5	1999; 2000	0

Sources

• IROC website (Website is inactive. Preserved on archive.org)
• 2004 Brickyard 400 Official Program, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2004.