Since Ray Evernham and Rob Kauffman announced that they had acquired the IROC brand and formed IROC Holdings LLC in January, the racing world has been waiting for the next step in the revival of the IROC brand.
That next step was announced on Friday.
“We are thrilled to announce the first IROC event since 2006 will take place at historic Lime Rock Park,” said Evernham. “I began my professional racing career at IROC, so to be part of the team bringing the brand back to life and to the fans is extremely gratifying.”
The IROC event at Lime Rock Park will be part of the SpeedTour All-Star Race weekend July 19-20, in an event hosted by Parella Motorsports. According to a press release, the event will feature both an on-track racing exhibition and a static display at historic race track, and the event will reunite original IROC competitors with cars that raced in the series.
“We are thrilled to add IROC to our lineup for the SpeedTour All-Star Race weekend,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “This is quickly shaping up to be one of the most exciting motorsports events in recent memory—we already have 16 legends committed to race in the SpeedTour All-Star race, with a field that includes Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 champions, IROC winners and drivers who have stood atop the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nürburgring, and Daytona. Adding IROC adds even more star power to an already exciting event. IROC was where the best-of-the-best drivers went to race and prove themselves among their competitors. As Ray [Evernham] and Rob [Kauffman] relaunch the IROC brand, we’re thrilled to be a part of this first outing.”
It's an awesome nod to the past, while IROC Holdings LLC looks toward the future with the legendary branding. In a press release, Kauffman hinted at more announcements coming for IROC.
“The event at Lime Rock Park will serve as a great way to kick off what is sure to be an exciting journey to reignite the magic IROC had during its original 30+ year run,” said Kauffman. “We hope this is just one of many announcements for IROC in 2024.”
Nearly every generation of IROC car will be on display in one form or another throughout the race weekend, giving fans a chance to connect with the historic past of the IROC Series. Additionally, many of the cars will be driven by former IROC drivers.
The IROC paddock will have a fan-forward display area, which will feature appearances and Q&A sessions with original IROC racers as well as IROC-branded merchandise. For those unable to attend the event, IROC has launched their own official webstore at shop.iroc-racing.com.
IROC has also opened entry applications to the event for anyone who owns IROC racecars and would like to display or drive them in the event. Anyone interested in applying to be part of the event can visit iroc-racing.com for additional information.
