IROC will roll through another year with Pontiac Firebird bodies on its tube-frame stock cars, though it will do so again without any Pontiac support. Weve decided to hang with the car for another year, True Value International Race of Champions series president Jay Signore said. Well struggle for a year, but weve raced for the last two years without Pontiac support and I think we still put on an exciting show. Signore said he has talked with GM, Ford and the Chrysler group about potential replacements for the Firebird, which no longer is in production. He suggested the series would be interested in again running with a concept body of an upcoming vehicle, much as it did in 1994 when it raced with Dodge Avenger bodies over its tube-frame cars. The Firebird replaced the Avenger as the IROC car in 1996. Signore said Chrysler expressed interest in IROC Vipers, but that the IROC series is better off if we can run with a higher-volume car. Signore would have liked approval to do a race version of Pontiacs new GTO, but Pontiac officials told him the reborn muscle car is a limited-production vehicle.( Autoweek )(1-28-2003)
