Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site

2004 IROC NEWS, LINEUP and SCHEDULE

Updated 10-29-2004

Question: What is IROC?

Answer: International Race of Champions

The International Race of Champions is a series of four races designed to produce a winner determined solely on driver skill. As far as humanly possible, the many mechanical variables normally associated with the sport of auto racing have been eliminated. Drivers are not allowed to make changes or adjustments to the suspension, handling or any other parts of the IROC race cars, except for pedal and steering wheel adjustments, seat position and safety belts. A specially fitted seat is provided for each driver and that seat moves from car to car with him.

About Crown Royal

www.diageo.com

Official IROC Racing Site

IROC 2004 News

Kenseth wins IROC race and Championship: Matt Kenseth won the final event of the 2004 Crown Royal IROC series and a million dollars as he was crowned series champion for the first time. Ryan Newman finished second in the race and in the championship while Danny Lasoski finished the race third. For results, news and standings, see IROCracing.com.(10-31-2004)
Four drivers go for IROC Title: Four Nextel Cup championship contenders will have a little something extra on their minds Saturday. The final IROC race of the season will end with the series champion winning $1 million. Ryan Newman currently leads the points, just four ahead of fellow Chase of the Championship contenders Matt Kenseth and Johnson. Busch is 11 points back. Kevin Harvick is out of the running for the inaugural Nextel Cup, but is just seven points out of the IROC lead. Of the remaining seven drivers in the IROC series, only World of Outlaws driver Danny Lasoski is within striking distance of Newman at 13 back. Saturday's race begins at approximately 3:45pm/et, assuming the Busch Series race is completed on time. The race will be shown on tape delay on Speed Channel at 8:00pm/et.(Macon Telegraph)(10-29-2004)
Kenseth wins IROC Race at RIR: Matt Kenseth won race three of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions at Richmond International Speedway Thursday night. Starting fourth, Kenseth, the reigning NASCAR Cup champion, took the lead from IndyCar Series driver Scott Sharp on lap six of the 90-lap event and without challenge went on to dominate the remainder of the first short track event for the All-star series. Finishing second was NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver, Ryan Newman placing him in the points lead. Fellow NASCAR drivers Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively. There were two caution periods, including the competition yellow at lap-60. The first caution was for World of Outlaws star, Danny Lasoski who got his car out of shape exiting turn two. Lasoski flat spotted his Goodyear tires and was serviced by the Crown Royal crew before rejoining the field. IndyCar Series star, Scott Sharp bested the open wheel contingent finishing sixth followed by USAC Triple Crown champion J.J. Yeley in seventh. IndyCar Series drivers Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon finished eighth and ninth, respectively. Lasoski finished 10 th followed by NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil finishing 11 th after tagging the wall, and rounding out the field, finishing 12th, World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser. Kinser fell out of the race on lap-38 with mechanical problems.
Kenseth, in his first year of Crown Royal IROC competition spoke proudly of his accomplishment at Richmond saying, “I watched a lot of IROC races as a kid and I remember watching Mid-Ohio and Darlington with all the great drivers in it. It’s an honor for me to be invited to the IROC series, and really cool to win a race and get one of the IROC trophies.“ The Crown Royal International Race of Champions will reward one million dollars to the 2004 champion when the series concludes at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 30.(IROC Site), all three races in 2004 were have been won by first time IROC winners, Kenseth at RIchmond Lasoski at Texas and at Newman at Daytona and the last six races have been won by first time IROC winners, in the last three races in 2003 the winners were: Jimmie Johnson at Indy, Mike Bliss at Chicago and Kurt Busch at Talladega.(9-10-2004)
RaceSafe used in IROC: for the first time, the IROC cars used RaceSafe System, owned by Racing Electronics [Jayski sponsor], at Richmond Thursday night. Race Safe Systems makes the Race Safe Warning Light System uses a radio transmitter and receiver that alerts all drivers of a caution situation simultaneously [using yellow lights].(9-10-2004)
IROC Testing at RIR: IROC testing continues on Tuesday, May 18th at Richmond International Raceway in preparation for the first RIR and short track race in IROC Series history. IROC test drivers Jay Sauter, Jim Sauter, Dave Marcis and winner of the second IROC race of the 2004 season, Danny "The Dude" Lasoski will do the testing. The grandstands are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both days. Admission is FREE.(Richmond International Raceway)(5-18-2004)
UPDATE: IROC made a stop at Richmond International Raceway for two days of testing in preparation for its Richmond and short track debut this September. Danny "The Dude" Lasoski, winner of the second of four races, fired up an IROC car for these practice days along with regular IROC testers Jim and Jay Sauter and long-time NASCAR veteran Dave Marcis. The drivers were impressed with the newly paved surface at Richmond International Raceway. "Richmond is phenomenal," said Lasoski. "As everyone knows, Tony Stewart heads up my car in the Sprint Car Division. He was telling me what to expect when I came here, and it's everything of that and more." All four agreed the third out of the four IROC races on the 2004 schedule will be a treat for the fans on Thursday, September 9 at Richmond International Raceway. The dozen superstars will experience "Racing Perfection" in September while battling it out "under the lights." Fans have the opportunity to see two great races-IROC and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series-for the price of one on Thursday, September 9. All tickets are general admission and are just $30, which is the same price as previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. Additionally, children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. For ticket information, fans can log onto www.rir.com or call the track's toll free number, 1-866-455-RACE.(RIR PR)(5-19-2004)
IROC Testing at Atlanta: The International Race of Champions (IROC) series will test Tuesday and Wednesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway as they prepare for their Oct. 30 season finale at the fast, high-banked track. Jim and Jay Sauter and Dave Marcis are expected to test the IROC cars on Tuesday, while IROC officials are expecting World of Outlaws drivers Steve Kinser and Danny "The Dude" Lasoski in to test on Wednesday. Lasoski is fresh off a "dream win"after pulling off a stunning victory last Friday in the Crown Royal IROC event at Texas Motor Speedway. In the Crown Royal IROC point standings, which will pay $1 million to the season champion, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman are tied for first with 33 points while Lasoski and Jimmie Johnson are tied for second with 32 points. The two-day test session is closed to the public.(AMS PR)(4-6-2004)

Dirt Track Star Lasoski Captures Crown Royal IROC Win: Danny "The Dude" Lasoski called it a "dream come true" after pulling off a stunning victory Friday night in the Crown Royal International Race of Champions event at Texas Motor Speedway. Lasoski led the field of 12 drivers from flag to flag and in the process became the second World of Outlaws Sprint Car racer to win a Crown Royal IROC race. The first was Steve Kinser, who won at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April of 1994. "When you're mentioned in the same breath with Steve Kinser it's an honor," said Lasoski. "It's important to me to represent the World of Outlaws." Lasoski's average speed in the 67-lap, 100.5-mile race was 116.983 miles per hour. Lasoski, who started from the pole by virtue of his last place finish at the Crown Royal IROC season opener in Daytona, was followed to the checkered flag by three NASCAR Nextel Cup stalwarts Kevin Harvick (second), Jimmie Johnson (third) and Ryan Newman (fourth). Lasoski's margin of victory over Harvick was .333 seconds. "With five laps to go I told myself if Harvick is going to beat me he will have to run right through me," explained Lasoski. "The Knoxville Nationals (Sprint Car Super Bowl) is very dear to me and I won that race three times. This victory ranks right up there." Following his victory a jubilant Lasoski imitated NASCAR winners by doing smoky burnouts on the Texas grass. As he drove into winner's circle the first person to congratulate him was his World of Outlaws team owner and NASCAR champion Tony Stewart. "He (Tony) talked to me before the race and kept preaching to save my right front tire and go after it in the final 10 laps," said Lasoski. "Winning this race was the toughest thing I've ever had to do and I am the happiest guy in the world right now." Kurt Busch, the reigning Crown Royal IROC champion, was involved in an incident on the third lap with Matt Kenseth and Newman. Kenseth spun out, hit the wall and was forced to retire from the race while Busch and Newman were able to continue. However, Busch's car suffered extensive body damage, resulting in an 11th-place finish. In the Crown Royal IROC point standings, which will pay $1 million to the season champion, Harvick and Newman are tied for first with 33 points while Lasoski and Johnson are tied for second with 32 points. "A million dollars is unbelievable, but I would probably pay to drive these cars," offered Lasoski. The final two Crown Royal IROC races are scheduled for Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (May 2) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (Oct. 30). The race was the 110th in IROC's history and the first to be contested at Texas Motor Speedway.
Next Race: The Crown Royal International Race of Champions will resume, Sept. 9 at Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, VA.(IROC PR)(4-3-2004)

Finish	Start	Driver	Car Color	Number	Laps	Times Led	Total Laps Led	Bonus Laps Led	Bonus Most Led	Points	Race Status
1	1	Danny Lasoski	Orange	20	67	1	67	3	5	21	Running
2	6	Kevin Harvick	Black	29	67			2		17	Running
3	9	Jimmie Johnson	Blue	48	67			1		14	Running
4	12	Ryan Newman	Olympic Blue	12	67					12	Running
5	3	Travis Kvapil	Violet	24	67					10	Running
6	4	Scott Sharp	Magenta	8	67					9	Running
7	7	Helio Castroneves	Day Glow	3	67					8	Running
8	8	Steve Kinser	Green	11	67					7	Running
9	5	Scott Dixon	Red	1	67					6	Running
10	2	J.J. Yeley	Aqua	80	67					5	Running
11	11	Kurt Busch	Royal Purple	97	67					4	Running
12	10	Matt Kenseth	Yellow	17	3					3	Accident

Average Speed: 116.983

Time of Race: 51.33

Margin of Victory: 0.333

Lead Changes: None

Caution Periods: 2

Lap Leaders: 1-67 Lasoski

Driver	Daytona Points	Texas Points	Total Points
Kevin Harvick	14	19	33
Ryan Newman	21	12	33
Danny Lasoski	3	29	32
Jimmie Johnson	17	15	32
Kurt Busch	20	4	24
Travis Kvapil	7	10	17
Helio Castroneves	9	8	17
Steve Kinser	10	7	17
Matt Kenseth	14	3	17
Scott Sharp	6	9	15
Scott Dixon	7	6	13
J. J. Yeley	4	5	9

Next Race: The Crown Royal International Race of Champions will resume, Sept. 9 at Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, VA.(IROC PR)(4-3-2004)

IROC Ready to Roll at Texas: The track went silent and the lights dimmed at Texas Motor Speedway at the conclusion of the Crown Royal IROC Happy Hour practice session, but the fans raved on to the Texas Motor Speedway Fandango celebration, which is an exclusive "Thank You" form the speedway to all season ticket holders. The Fandango celebration kicked off with the Crown Royal IROC practice session followed by music, fireworks, driver visits and other special guest appearances. The one-hour final practice session was jam-packed with drivers eager to get in a few more laps before the green flag waves on the field at 8:00 p.m., Friday, April 2. Getting in the Crown Royal IROC practice cars were IRL IndyCar Seriesâ„¢ drivers, Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves and Scott Sharp; NASCAR Truck Series champion, Travis Kvapil; NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, and Kevin Harvick; USAC champion, J. J. Yeley and World of Outlaws champion, Danny Lasoski.
At the end of the session, Speed Channel broadcaster, Jeff Hammond took a ride around the 1.5-mile high-banked oval at speed to get a clear perspective of what the Crown Royal IROC drivers would be up against in tomorrow's night race. Test driver, Jay Sauter drove Hammond around in a specially designed Crown Royal IROC ride-around car. On had to make sure Hammond got the full scoop was fellow Crown Royal IROC Speed Channel broadcaster, Mike Joy.
Hammond said, "Getting the opportunity to get the experience of what the IROC drivers will be seeing and feeling when they run this race really adds another dimension to the broadcast for the race fans. The Crown Royal IROC cars are planted into the race track. Jay Sauter took me through the paces in both the high and low racing grooves. When I anticipated the car to start breaking loose, it remained stable, which is really a secure feeling. The Crown Royal IROC test drivers, Dave Marcis, Jim and Jay Sauter have done a great job making the cars comfortable for the drivers."
IROC President, Jay Signore said, "The biggest part of our job is over and it's all in the hands of the drivers now. We worked hard to give them as drivable and as equal a field of race cars as we can, I just hope it all proves out in the race for our first time here in Texas. Our experience here (Texas Motor Speedway) has been super."(IROC PR)(4-2-2004)
Fact Sheet - Crown Royal International Race of Champions
Race Two, Texas Motor Speedway, Friday, April 2, 2004
The following is the Crown Royal IROC starting lineup for Friday's 67-lap, 100.5-mile race. The start time is 8:00 p.m. Central Time and will be broadcast live by Speed Channel.
Driver,Residence,Representing
Danny Lasoski,Dover, MO,World of Outlaws
J. J. Yeley,Indianapolis, IN,USAC
Travis Kvapil,Mooresville, N.C.,NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Scott Sharp,Jupiter, FLIRL, IndyCar Series
Scott Dixon,Indianapolis, IN,IRL IndyCar Series
**Kevin Harvick,Winston-Salem, N.C.,NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Helio Castroneves,Miami, Fla., IndyCar Series
Steve Kinser,Bloomington, IN,World of Outlaws
Jimmie Johnson,Mooresville, N.C.,NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Matt Kenseth,Mooresville, N.C.,NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
*Kurt Busch,Concord, N.C.,NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
***Ryan Newman,Mooresville, NCNASCAR NEXTEL Cup
*2003 IROC Champion, ** 2002 IROC Champion *** Race One Winner
Texas IROC Facts
Track: Texas Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile high-banked oval.
Distance: 100.5 miles, 67 laps (Yellow flag laps do not count.) No pit stop required.
Inaugural event for Crown Royal International Race of Champions at Texas Motor Speedway.
110th IROC Series Race
Line Up: Reverse order of Race One finish at Daytona International Speedway, Feb. 13, 2004.
New for the 2004 Crown Royal IROC Series is the shootout segment built into the final portion of each event.
o The purpose of this format change is to heighten the level of competition throughout the 67-lap event. Awarding bonus points for the first three positions will add incentive to get to the front of the pack during the first segment of the race. The Crown Royal IROC Texas Shootout segment will be determined and announced after race conditions have been accessed during race week testing. A competition yellow will signal the realignment of the field, giving each driver lane choice for the restart. Giving the driver lane choice adds another dimension of individual driver strategy to the event.
2004 Crown Royal IROC cars: New for the 2004 Crown Royal IROC Series, the car numbers and colors are assigned at the start of the season and will remain with the driver throughout the four-race season. Numbers and colors will simulate the driver's native series team.
Racecar assignments are determined by a blind draw; Out of the stable of Crown Royal IROC Cars brought to the event, 12 will be qualified for the race based on their equivalence in speed and performance. The cars are identified and drawn for by chassis numbers.
Purse Total - $1.9 million with $1,000,000 awarded to the Championship based on points standings at the end of the fourth race.
Bonus Points: The first segment of the race will award first, second and third place drivers bonus points of 3-2-1 respectively. In addition, at the end of the race, five bonus points will be awarded to the driver who leads the most laps, three bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the second greatest number of laps, and two bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the third greatest number of laps.
Tiebreaker Rule: In the event that two or more drivers are tied for bonus points, the bonus points will be awarded according to the finishing positions of the race.(IROC PR)(4-2-2004)
IROC Test at Richmond, may have to shorten the race: The International Race of Champions will hold a critical test at Richmond International Raceway on May 17-19 to determine car setups and a race length for the all-star circuit's first event on a short track. IROC events, which match drivers from the IRL, NASCAR and World of Outlaws in identically prepared stock cars, typically are 100 miles. Series President Jay Signore expects the Sept. 9 race at RIR probably won't top 75 miles, or about 100 laps around the 0.75-mile oval. "We've got a one-hour TV program," Signore said. "We can't go more than 45 minutes of racing, so we probably can't go 100 miles. We'll factor in the fuel mileage, tire life and TV time and see how it all works out." Richmond is the third of four stops on the IROC schedule. The series will hold its second race of 2004 - and its first at Texas Motor Speedway - at 9 p.m. today. SPEED will telecast the race.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(4-2-2004)
IROC Wed Notes: The Crown Royal International Race of Champions continued testing and driver practice on Wednesday evening in preparation for race two of the four race series this Friday Night Texas Motor Speedway. The practice session participants included series competitors Helio Castroneves and Scott Sharp, representing the IRL IndyCar Series; J.J. Yeley, representing USAC; Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski, representing the World of Outlaws; Travis Kvapil, representing the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch representing the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. The practice sessions consisted of a mixture of short sessions to get the drivers acclimated to the Crown Royal IROC car set up and longer runs simulating race conditions. All the drivers swapped cars between sessions to get a feel for any small nuance that may exist between the practice cars. Happy Hour practice for the Crown Royal IROC Series will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 1. The green flag will signal the start of round two at 8:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday April 2 at Texas Motor Speedway. Speed Channel will broadcast the Crown Royal IROC Race live.(IROC PR)(4-1-2004)
Bristol and IROC? [now that would be wild] NASCAR fans have long dreamed of watching an all-star race from Bristol Motor Speedway. Those fans may soon get their wish in the form of an International Race of Champions event. In fact, BMS vice-president of communications and events Wayne Estes plans to attend Friday night’s IROC event at Texas Motor Speedway. "The idea of matching an IROC date to Bristol has been in the early stages for several years," Estes said. "I think (BMS general manager) Jeff Byrd mentioned it to (IROC chairman) Les Richter, and then to Jay Signore. "Jay is IROC’s president and he directs a staff of 25 mechanics and fabricators at a 20,000-square foot shop in Trinton Falls, N.J. With the Speedway’s record for damaging equipment, the idea of a Bristol race has been a bit daunting for IROC’s officials and crew members."
"Late last year, Jay expressed new interest in a Bristol IROC race," Estes said. "Of course, we want to encourage him to let that thinking lead to action. It could be that though the early stages have run for quite a long time, the next stage of discussions may come rather swiftly. And actions may be just around the corner. We have talked to Jay several times informally over the last several months – by phone at the NASCAR banquet in New York and at Daytona Beach in February. We plan to see Jay face-to-face again this week at Texas to see if he is interested in setting a date for a Bristol test during the next few months." The IROC concept at Bristol has long been a topic for Internet forums and motorsports publications. According to Estes, BMS officials are serious about making this motorsports dream come true. "We would like to see an IROC race run with the NASCAR Busch Series on a Friday night in August," Estes said. "What a ticket that would be for the fans. The Food City 250 Busch Series race, an IROC race, and Sharpie 500 practice and qualifying – all for one ticket. We think a program like that could lead to a pair of Friday and Saturday night sellouts. "That’s what we would like to pursue. If it doesn’t work, maybe it’s a Wednesday night triple-header with NASCAR Craftsman Trucks, IROC and USAR Hooters Pro Cup cars. Whatever course this takes, we believe we will set attendance records with an IROC event here, and we continue to pursue this with Jay."(Bristol Herald Courier)(3-31-2004)
IROC Tests at Texas: Race teams testing at Texas Motor Speedway are usually in search of additional speed. Parity and equality took precedence over speed Thursday as the Crown Royal International Race of Champions machines took to Texas Motor Speedway for the first time in preparation for the April 2 inaugural event. Crown Royal IROC test drivers Dave Marcis, Jim and Jay Sauter wheeled a trio of the series machines around “The Great American Speedway” seeking setups that will be used in the April 2 race. The identically prepared stock cars will be driven by 12 of the world’s leading drivers in the series’ Texas debut. “So far in the first day of testing, I’m happy with the cars,” said Marcis, a former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regular and long-time IROC tester. “I have been to Texas before, I like this race track, always did quite well here. Jim and Jay Sauter are both here working on the cars, our goal today is to change shocks, change springs and keep working on the chassis to where we are comfortable.” Individual tickets to the Crown Royal IROC Series 100 will go on sale Monday, March 1 at the speedway ticket office, by calling (817) 215-8500, online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com and at Ticketmaster locations. A special advance purchase ticket price of $35 is being offered for the inaugural event. Also included in the evening’s racing will be a 100-mile race for the ROMCO Super Late Model Series. Season ticket holders will receive free tickets to the April 2 doubleheader. Season tickets for 2004 are still available and include frontstretch seating for six major races at Texas Motor Speedway including the April 4 Samsung/RadioShack 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event.(TMS PR)(2-27-2004)

THE CROWN ROYAL INTERNATIONAL RACE OF CHAMPIONS
Race One – 40 Laps (100 Miles) Friday, February 13, 2004
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
2.5-mile high-banked tri-oval

Ryan Newman, representing the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, crossed the finish line 0.035 seconds ahead of reigning IROC Champion, Kurt Busch to win his first career Crown Royal International Race of Champions on Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.

The win was not declared final until race officials had time to review the highly contested battle to the finish line between Newman and Busch, which resulted in Newman's car going below the yellow line, considered out of bounds on the 2.5-mile, high bank tri-oval. The pass was ruled legal due to the fact that Newman and Busch would have made contact resulting in a possible multi-car crash had Newman not put his car below the stripe.

Newman said, "Just a great race I'm not just saying that because I won it, but the best I've ever seen. The cars are very, very competitive. I think with nine laps to go I was still either last or second to last."

Regarding the pass for the finish, Newman said, "If you're forced down there (below the yellow line) then you have the right to resume your position, if you just pass somebody down there without being forced then you're the one that gets the penalty. I was at the point-of-no-return as far as not letting off and instead of spinning him out I went below the yellow line."

Busch said, "Newman was behind me so I went to the bottom to leave just about half a car-width between me and the yellow line, which would have not allowed him to go below me, but he was able to squeak underneath with a tremendous run and get to the start/finish line before me."

Reigning NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion, Matt Kenseth finished third followed by fellow NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson in fourth. The best showing from the open wheel contingent came from 18-time World of Outlaws Champion, Steve Kinser rounding out the top-five.

Of his third place finish and first Crown Royal IROC race, Kenseth said, "It's a blast. All the cars are the same speed. It's just about where you draft and what kind of hole you got yourself into as far as air goes. It's a lot of fun to drive. The cars are really stable, it was really a blast."

The 2004 Crown Royal IROC opener introduced a format change devised to break the race into two segments in order to heightened the level of competition. At lap-25 a competition yellow realigned the field with the leader taking the point and the remainder of the field being allowed to choose, in order of position, which lane to restart the race. Bonus points were awarded to the first three positions crossing the finish line at lap-25. NASCAR driver, Kevin Harvick picked up three bonus points for leading with, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Champion, Travis Kvapil getting two points for placing second and Kurt Busch getting one point for placing third.

IRL IndyCar Series drivers, Helio Castroneves Scott Dixon and Scott Sharp finished sixth, eighth and ninth respectively. Scott Sharp starting sixth ran in the top-five for most of the first segment of the race.

There were 14 lead changes among six drivers running three and four-wide throughout the 40-lap, 100-mile event. The only incident took place after the finish of the race when NASCAR Nextel Cup driver, Jimmie Johnson, finishing fourth, was tapped and went into a broad slide coming out of the tri-oval. No contact was made and the entire field got by without incident.

The Crown Royal IROC Series will make its first appearance at Texas Motor Speedway on April 2 when the series will resume with Race Two of the four race series. Race Three will take place on September 9 at Richmond International Raceway and conclude with Race Four at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 30.

Race Results

Finish	Start	Driver	Car Color	Car#	Laps	Times Led	Total Laps Led	Bonus Lap 25	Bonus Laps Led	Race Points	Total Points	Status
1	1	Ryan Newman	Olympic Blue	12	40	3	5			21	21	Running
2	8	Kurt Busch	Royal Purple	97	40	2	6	1	2	17	20	Running
3	5	Matt Kenseth	Yellow	17	40	2	4			14	14	Running
4	2	Jimmie Johnson	Blue	48	40	3	12		5	12	17	Running
5	4	Steve Kinser	Green	11	40	1	3			10	10	Running
6	12	Helio Castroneves	Day Glow	3	40					9	9	Running
7	9	Kevin Harvick	Black	29	40	2	10	3	3	8	14	Running
8	10	Scott Dixon	Red	1	40					7	7	Running
9	6	Scott Sharp	Magenta	8	40					6	6	Running
10	7	Travis Kvapil	Violet	24	40			2		5	7	Running
11	11	J.J. Yeley	Aqua	80	40					4	4	Running
12	3	Danny Lasoski	Orange	20	40					3	3	Running

Average Speed: 151.007
Time of Race: 39 min.44 sec.
Margin of Victory: 0.035
Lead Changes: 14 among 6 drivers
Caution Periods: 1 Competition Yellow
Lap Leaders: 1-3 Newman, 4-6 Kenseth, 7-13 Johnson, 14-15 Harvick, 16-17 Busch, 18 Kenseth,
19-21Johnson, 22 Newman, 23-24 Johnson, 25-32 Harvick, 33-35 Kinser, 36-39 Busch, 40 Newman

Bonus Points: The first segment of the race will award first, second and third place drivers bonus points of 3-2-1 respectively. In addition, at the end of the race, five bonus points will be awarded to the driver who leads the most laps, three bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the second greatest number of laps, and two bonus points are awarded to the driver who leads the third greatest number of laps.

*Tiebreaker Rule: In the event that two or more drivers are tied for bonus points, the bonus points will be awarded according to the finishing positions of the race. In the event that two or more drivers are tied at the finish line, the points for finishing positions will be added together and divided among the tying drivers.

Prize Money: The total True Value IROC purse of $1.9 million will be paid upon conclusion of the series based on point standings. The series Champion will earn $1 million dollars.

Next Race: The Crown Royal International Race of Champions will resume, April 2 at Texas Motor Speedway, Ft. Worth, Texas

Driver	Total Points
Ryan Newman	21
Kurt Busch	20
Jimmie Johnson	17
Matt Kenseth	14
Kevin Harvick	14
Steve Kinser	10
Helio Castroneves	9
Travis Kvapil	7
Scott Dixon	7
Scott Sharp	6
J. J. Yeley	4
Danny Lasoski	3

Newman wins the draw for the IROC pole: The inaugural Crown Royal International Race of Champions driver draw for starting positions took place Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway determining the line up for Race One on Friday, Feb. 13. Ryan Newman, representing NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, who won a series high 11 poles in 2003 qualifying, only had to reach into a purple Crown Royal IROC bag to win the pole for Race One on Friday. This will mark Newman's first start from the pole at Daytona International Speedway, which will be broadcast live on Speed Channel at 5:00pm/et.
Fellow NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver, Jimmie Johnson will start from the outside pole next to Newman in row one, with row two being comprised of World of Outlaws champions, Danny Lasoski and Steve Kinser, starting third and fourth respectively. Row three will be reigning NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, Matt Kenseth starting fifth with IRL IndyCar Series driver, Scott Sharp starting sixth. The fourth row is comprised of Crown Royal colors as 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, Travis Kvapil will start seventh in the violet color number 24 and reigning Crown Royal IROC champion, Kurt Busch will start eighth in the Royal Purple number 97, in honor of his championship. Starting ninth will be the 2002 IROC champion, Kevin Harvick, with 10th starting spot going to the 2003 IRL IndyCar Series champion, Scott Dixon. The final row will consist of USAC champion, J. J. Yeley in 11th and two time Indianapolis 500 champion, Helio Castroneves in 12th. Speed Channel's Crown Royal IROC broadcast team, Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond, hosted the draw.(IROC PR)(2-12-2004)
Daytona Notes: Sunday's 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. session included practice for series' competitors and set up testing on the race cars. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Helio Castroneves, representing the IRL IndyCar Series was joined by World of Outlaws driver, Danny Lasoski and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver, Ryan Newman. A single car incident involving Castroneves occurred between turns one and two on lap six of the session. Castroneves was running in the high groove next to Lasoski with Newman close behind. According to all three drivers, no contact was made and the incident was caused by air being removed from the rear spoiler of the Castroneves car, which then became unstable. Castroneves was uninjured in the incident; he was examined and released by infield care center. The session resumed with the 2002 IROC Champion, Kevin Harvick, representing the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup joining Lasoski and Newman.
Crown Royal IROC Practice and testing will resume on Tuesday, Feb. 10, which will include three separate sessions, 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.(IROC PR)(2-8-2004)
Been asked......what's up with IROC? UPDATES Crown Royal?: The International Race of Champions opener is still up in the air. The folks at IROC are apparently waiting to get the final, final, final OK from a new series sponsor. Daytona Intl Speedway is reserving them space on the Speed Weeks schedule (Feb. 13).(Daytona Beach News Journal)(12-19-2003)
UPDATE: have heard nothing on who could drive [no one has been named or rumored] or what model of cars they will run...if the series is run in 2004.....and on ThatsRacin.com, the Daytona International Speedway Speedweeks schedule has practice and race times listed, the official IROC site: www.irocracing.com has simply the following: 2004 Announcements Coming Soon!.(1-7-2004)
UPDATE 2: The International Race of Champions will not be part of the 2004 Brickyard 400 weekend schedule, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced Friday. Since 1998, IROC had staged one of its four races at IMS in conjunction with the NASCAR race. IROC, which uses 12 drivers from different racing series in identically prepared cars, had lost its sponsor, True Value, after last year's race. An announcement about a new IROC sponsor [Jayski hears it is Crown Royal? OR Smith and Wesson?] and format could come as early as next week. NASCAR's Jimmie Johnson won the 2003 IROC race at IMS. Drivers from NASCAR won each of the six IROC events staged at IMS, with Mark Martin taking the first three local races.(Indianapolis Star)
UPDATE 3: from the official IROC site: Stay Tuned to IROCracing.com For a Momentous Announcement Regarding the 2004 Season on Thursday, January 15th!(1-10-2004)
UPDATE 4: hearing it is Crown Royal being the new title sponsor...a multi-year agreement will be announced on Thursday, supposedly the first race will be at Daytona on Feb 13th and will start at 5:00pm/et and they will race under the lights. Live TV on Speed Channel. As for cars: hearing they will run the same IROC chassis that they ran last season which were were Firebirds but Pontiac isn't a sponsor so they have been dubbed "IROC chassis". Have heard nothing about drivers, but expect Cup, Busch and Truck champs for sure.(1-12-2004)
UPDATE 5: IROC will undergo a vast facelift this season, including new venues for three of its four races and a $1 million payoff to the winner, ThatsRacin.com has learned. The series, which annually pits 12 drivers from various forms of motorsports in four, 100-mile races competing in equally prepared Pontiac Firebirds, lost its sponsor last season, but has obtained Crown Royal as a replacement which will be unveiled during a major announcement Thursday, sources said. In fact, signage describing the "Crown Royal IROC Series" is already on display at Daytona International Speedway. According to sources, several other changes are planned:
......Races will be dropped from Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
......The series season opener will continue to be held at Daytona, on Feb. 13 this season but the three additional races in 2004 are planned for Texas (April 2) ; Richmond, Va. (Sept. 9); and Atlanta (Oct. 30).
IROC is considering a proposal to allow participants to utilize numbers on their IROC entries the same as they use in the series in which they regularly participate. For example, Nextel Cup driver Kurt Busch's IROC car will carry #97. Busch won the 2003 IROC championship, including the series' race at Talladega and $250,000. As part of the new sponsorship package, IROC will pay out $1 million to the winner of its series, while the remaining 11 participants will each be paid the same amount, likely less than $100,000 each, sources said.
As in previous seasons, a vast amount of the drivers in the series will have connections to NASCAR, as IROC has extended invitations to several drivers in NASCAR's Nextel Cup series, including 2003 champion Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon. All but Gordon are expected to accept.
One driver who would have had an invitation, but had to decline is 2003 NASCAR Busch Series champion -- and now Cup driver -- Brian Vickers. Since the IROC series will now be sponsored by a liquor company, Vickers, 20, cannot participate because he has not yet reached the legal age limit to consume alcohol. Participants are also expected to come from the Indy Racing League and perhaps the World of Outlaws, among others.(ThatsRacin.com)(1-13-2004)
UPDATE - New Sponsor: The International Race of Champions [IROC] announced today the signing of a multi-year agreement with Crown Royal to be the official title sponsor of the IROC Series for 2004 and beyond. The 2004 Crown Royal International Race of Champions schedule will include the traditional Speedweeks opener at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 13. New venues are in the works for the remainder of the season including, Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday, April 2., and Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., on Thursday, September 9. IROC is also finalizing a fall date for the Crown Royal IROC Championship finale at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Ga. IROC is in negotiations with Fox/Speed Channel to televise all four events [LIVE!]. With the new Crown Royal sponsorship comes a significant increase in the Series' prize money. The purse for the 2004 IROC season will be $1.9 million including $1 million to the Series champion. This is a major increase from the 2003 season in which the champion received $250,000 and represents the highest payout for a Series Champion in IROC history.
Another big change taking place in 2004 will be the appearance of the Crown Royal IROC cars. Instead of the history-long tradition of drivers having different color cars and numbers, representing their position in the point standings, at each of the four races, a color scheme and car number, representing the driver's native series team, will be assigned pre-season and will remain with the driver throughout the four events. The pre-assigned color and utilizing the driver's team number will better enhance tracking and recognizing the individual competitors throughout the season. The traditional process of a blind draw will still take place among the lot of Crown Royal IROC race cars brought to each event. After the draw, color graphics and numbers will be applied to the field of race cars.
Crown Royal, America's leading super premium whisky, has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. In addition to its sponsorship of the Crown Royal IROC Series, the brand also sponsors Team Crown Royal, a professional fishing team; The Crown Royal Comedy Soul Fest and a number of other major regional and national events. For more information on Crown Royal, visit www.crownroyal.com.(IROC Racing Site), no word on a drivers yet......(1-15-2004)

THE 2004 IROC LINEUP stats thru 2003
Driver	Car #	Series From	Appearance (including 2004)	IROC Wins	IROC Champs
Travis Kvappil	24	Truck Series	1	0	0
Kurt Busch	97	Nextel Cup	2	1	1
Helio Castroneves	03	Indy Racing League	3	0	0
Scott Dixon	1	Indy Racing League	1	0	0
Kevin Harvick	29	Nextel Cup	3	1	1
Scott Sharp	8	Indy Racing League	3	0	0
Jimmie Johnson	48	Nextel Cup	2	1	0
Steve Kinser	11	World of Outlaws	5	1	0
Danny Lasoski	20	World of Outlaws	3	0	0
J.J. Yeley	80	USAC	1	0	0
Ryan Newman	12	Nextel Cup	2	0	0
Matt Kenseth	17	Nextel Cup	1	0	0

THE 2004 IROC SCHEDULE
#	Track	Date & Time	TV	Date & Time	Laps/Miles
1	Daytona	Feb 13th	Speed Channel	2/13 Live	40/100
2	Texas	April 2nd	Speed Channel	TBA	67/100.5
3	Richmond	Sept 9th	Speed Channel	TBA	134/100.5
4	Atlanta	Oct 30 Tentative	Speed Channel	TBA	67/100.5

IROC TV SCHEDULE
Date, Start, Track, Network
Friday, Jan 13, 5:00pm, Daytona Beach, SPEED
Friday, Jan 13, 11:00pm, Daytona Beach, SPEED
Saturday, Jan 14, 3:00am, Daytona Beach, SPEED
Saturday, Jan 14, 12:00pm, Daytona Beach, SPEED
(Please note that all dates and time are subject to change.)

ALL TIME IROC RACE WINNERS

Al Unser Jr., 11
Dale Earnhardt, 11
Mark Martin, 11
Cale Yarborough, 5
Bobby Allison, 4
Neil Bonnett , 4
Bobby Unser, 4
Rusty Wallace, 4
43 drivers have won an IROC race, 116 drivers have ran the series.(2-8-2004)

IROC 2005 Page
IROC 2003 Page
IROC 2002 Page
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IROC 2000 Page

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