Eight IROC cars took part in a pair of races Saturday on the streets of Washington D.C. with the US Capitol providing the backdrop.
As a support race for the IndyCar Series this weekend, the classic race cars from the early 2000s and the legends piloting them did not disappoint.
Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon won both races, and the 55-year-old NASCAR Hall of Famer put on quite the show as he and seven others raced down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Race #1 (10 laps)
1988 NASCAR Cup champion Bill Elliott led early, but by Lap 5, four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves overtook him. As Elliott faded, new challengers quickly approached.
Gordon battled Castroneves for several laps before completing the pass for the lead.
Back in the pack, four-time Trans-Am champion Tommy Kendallnosed his car into the barrier, while 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan ran off course as he battled brake issues.
With two laps to go, 2004 NASCAR Cup champion Kurt Busch passed Castroneves, and while he remained close, he never could mount a real attack on Gordon for the race lead.
Gordon won the race ahead of Busch, Castroneves, Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Labonte, Kendall, and Kanaan.
“I knew Kurt was going to be tough,” Gordon said after the first race. “I had the opportunity to get by him kind of early and I was like, hey, keep him behind me. And then I just saw Helio making one pass after another, and I couldn’t let him get too far away. We had a good car. He (Castroneves) was so much fun to race with. But this is such a blast. To be on the track with this group of drivers — I mean, legends. To have the IROC series here on the streets of D.C., it’s going to be hard to wipe this smile off my face for a very long time.”
Race #2 (10 laps)
In the second race, they inverted the field, forcing the fastest drivers of the day to slice through the pack of eight cars. Well, it didn’t take them long.
Kanaan led early, but on Lap 5, Gordon arrived, blowing past both Castroneves and Kanaan before driving away with the race lead.
Castroneves moved up into second, but spun soon after, and Kendall nearly collided with the stationary car as the field worked their way by.
Busch moved up into second, but once again, Gordon was just too fast. The real battle was for third, with 2000 NASCAR Cup champion Bobby Labonte holding it, only to run wide and allow Kanaan to snatch it back.
As Gordon claimed victory once again, Busch finished second, Kanaan third, Labonte fourth, Kendall fifth, Elliott sixth, Wallace seventh, and Castroneves eighth.
“This is so special,” said Gordon after his second win of the day. “Of course, I ran IROC back in the day, but to run a few of these with Ray (Evernham) and Rob Kauffman — big thanks to them. They put a lot of effort into this series. I can’t thank them enough. I had a sponsor — thank you Hendrickcars.com. It’s Rick’s (Hendrick) car so I have to thank him for loaning it to me. We tuned it up a little bit — it was pretty good. Just being out there, being a part of this special event — I mean, the fans are everywhere, celebrating 250 years of this great country. This is super special.
“I also want to shootout Kyle Busch’s family. Nice to be able to have that (tribute) sticker on the car … And to get to race Kurt (Kyle’s brother) — you know, he’s so good. Especially in these cars. I raced against him my whole career. I could not give him an inch. I took an opportunity in Turn 1 and knew I just had to keep my eye on him. And then, of course, Helio does it again and just takes off. The car was great. It was a real honor to be a part of this event. I’m truly blessed, and I think all of us are super appreciative to be here and to experience what this is like this weekend.”
