IROC to Race on the National Mall as Support Event for Freedom 250
Organizers say the revived all‑star series will bring champion drivers in original IROC Pontiac Firebirds for a one-day exhibition that aims to boost the weekend’s fan appeal and honor racing history.
Overview
- Organizers confirmed Thursday that the International Race of Champions will hold an exhibition on Aug. 22 on the 1.7-mile Washington, D.C., street circuit that circles the National Mall and includes a 0.4-mile run down Pennsylvania Avenue.
- The IROC lineup named for the event pairs former NASCAR champions Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott with IndyCar greats and Indy 500 winners Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti.
- Drivers will race authentic IROC Pontiac Firebirds that the series used from 1996 to 2006, keeping the revived series’ identical‑car format that emphasizes driver skill over equipment differences.
- Promoters say the addition fills out the Saturday program ahead of the main IndyCar race and brings a nostalgia-driven spectacle to the nation’s capital after a presidential executive order in January advanced the Freedom 250 project.
- IROC was revived in 2024 by Ray Evernham and Rob Kauffman, has run three events since the relaunch, and plans two more races in 2026 as it leans on its 1970s–2006 heritage to draw fans and media attention to the Freedom 250 weekend.