"International" race of "champions" - no PT?

[jonovision_man]

How can they miss Paul Tracy? Not that IROC had much cred to start with, but shouldn't they at least make an effort?

jono

[RichK]

ISC owns IROC. It's not surprising.

[Lizzerd]

IROC is a joke. Has been for years.

[Don Quixote]

Maybe Canada is not considered "International". :p

[jonovision_man]

Maybe Canada is not considered "International". :p

:)

"National race of a few champions and some deadbeats"? :)

jono

[pchall]

IROC is a joke. Has been for years.

Make that "decades". It's been twenty-five years at least since IROC was actually a challenge series.

[Chaos]

why dont they just call it NASCAR2 and get it over with.

[CART T. Katz]

word is that helio castronodashneves got injured at daytona (how you can do that i don't know). you know what would be cool? the iroc officials ask him to replace hcndn.

and paul turns them down.

[Ankf00]

why is PT bent out of shape for not being invited? it's a waste of time anyways for someone who prides himself on "real racing real sport"
and for being the series "savior" how come he's saying how he'd like to quit at some "proper time" and move onto nascar? that's the most disturbing to me, the nascar goal... lemans, cool, nascar, heh...

[RTKar]

It would be good exposure for OWRS as well as PT. Throw in John Force (he'd make it interesting), and I might watch.

[mueber]

I suspect Tracy will get over this without lingering emotional damage. :laugh:

[dreamracer]

PT should've been called...

Unsurprising that he wasn't. Scheduling conflicts... my butt. Even if IROC has sucked for years.

[cart7]

why is PT bent out of shape for not being invited? it's a waste of time anyways for someone who prides himself on "real racing real sport"
and for being the series "savior" how come he's saying how he'd like to quit at some "proper time" and move onto nascar? that's the most disturbing to me, the nascar goal... lemans, cool, nascar, heh...
In the latest RACER, an interview with JV has him moving the conversation on his future towards NASCAR several times during the interview. :shakehead

[Michaelhatesfans]

Another vote for the fact that IROC has been irrelevant for decades. Look at some of the original driver lineups and tracks, and it almost makes you sick to your stomache to think that it's become so NASCARized. :thumdown:

[dreamracer]

It would be good exposure for OWRS as well as PT. Throw in John Force (he'd make it interesting), and I might watch.
It'd be like driving in slow motion for john force... :D
I wonder if he'd get tired. His races last 4 seconds. Lightning reflexes required there, but not exactly demanding of stamina.

[Madmaxfan2]

IROC was the first racing series hijacked by NASCAR. IRL was adoupted (sp)by NASCAR to drive a wedge into CART, a serious viable competitor. To acknowledge PT would be to acknowledge that CART/OWRS is a revelvent player in US top level racing. Denial is such much easier for these types to handle than to admit the truth. I thnik Paul knows this, it's a price one pays for sticking to principals. BTW, who was last years IROC champion, I don't know, and thats the point, it is a meanless title.

[RTKar]

It'd be like driving in slow motion for john force... :D
I wonder if he'd get tired. His races last 4 seconds. Lightning reflexes required there, but not exactly demanding of stamina.

He had mentioned a while back about wanting to get into IROC. I love his pesonality. I don't watch NHRA but this guy can draw some attention. He'd be great as OWRS owner.

[Lizzerd]

He had mentioned a while back about wanting to get into IROC. I love his pesonality. I don't watch NHRA but this guy can draw some attention. He'd be great as OWRS owner.

Yeah, baby! 5000 HP ChampCars.

[Sean O'Gorman]

John Force on IROC:


Sure, I don't go around curves, but I've been on fire sideways.

:rofl:

[GOFAST1]

I don't think Paul Tracy should feel bad. Micheal Schumacher wasn't invited either (not that he would come in his right mind). As you all know, the whole iroc bs is pretty much meaningless garbage.

[Mike Kellner]

I am not even sure what year I quit watching IROC, but is was soon after it went all ovals and became a mini NASCAR. It is just so bogus. I am not insulted Tracy isn't there, I am glad.

mk

[Ankf00]

nm, wrong jv...

[Railbird]

Well I tried to watch the Daytona iroc event yesterday. Who's genuis idea was it to paint all the cars white?

Looked like a cattle call at the rental agency.

unwatchable

[ChrisB]

Make that "decades". It's been twenty-five years at least since IROC was actually a challenge series.

Yep.. the first season of IROC ('75?) they used Porsche 911's, had a lot of RR, and Mark Donohue was the first IROC champ. Now it's essentially an oval stock-car series.

[Ziggy]

I was thinking the same thing 'bird. I watched it, until the first commercial, late last night. I was amazed anyone bought a ticket. Is it free to get in? It sure did blow chunks.

I really dont hold any grudges towards the drivers. For JJ Yealey, its a chance to make $80,000. This will be the biggest payday of his career, for he wont have to give 60% to a car owner. 80 large is GREAT, I cant see too many drivers turning it down.

The racing last night was super boring. Kinser was running fifth when I clicked the set off. It was not worth watching to see if he could draft around the fourth place guy. They will all be like this, so my ten minutes invested will save time down the road!

Ziggy

[devilmaster]

Yep.. the first season of IROC ('75?) they used Porsche 911's, had a lot of RR, and Mark Donohue was the first IROC champ. Now it's essentially an oval stock-car series.

http://www.irocracing.com/current_season/history.html

Go through the years, and you can see some of the years when IROC meant something.

Races at Riverside, Burke Lakefront, FIA regulars, SCCA champs.....

Nowadays, its just 'lets prove to our nascar fans that we're racers!'

Steve

[4wheeldrifter]

International Race of Roundy-Round Champions. A pathetic parody of what is the most pathetic part of NASCAR, the superspeedway "races". I too cannot remember the last IROC race I watched. They were probably still putting IROC-Z on the side of the GM F-bodies at that time, maybe even before. :shakehead

[fourrunner]

I have a hard time visualizing that as of Yesterday, Ryan Newman is the best driver in the world!

The announcers are silly morons for promoting this series as anymore than a "Backyard Pick Up" game !

[oddlycalm]

It's too bad that the Frances don't have the marketing sense or the testicular fortitude to bring back the original format. Of course these days it might take more than $80K and bragging rights to interest any of the top F1 drivers. I would love to see the best F1, WRC, Champcar and NASCAR drivers go toe to toe in some iron worthy of the task. My vote would be for the BMW M3 GTR. Front engine, predictable neutral handling, enough power to get the job done, and they could be set up to run ovals just fine.

PT would do just fine in such an event.

oc

[dando]

Robin Miller's piece (http://speedtv.com/commentary/9713/) on this pretty much summarizes the insignificance of IROC these days.

-Kevin

[Jag_Warrior]

IROC is a joke. MROC is where it's at (Jeff Gordon knows). The Michelin ROC buggies are too cool!

[L1P1]

OWRS should pick up the banner and run a similar series. And here's how it should work:

1) 5 or so manufacturers should participate.

2) Each manufacturer sponsors one race. They decide where it is and what cars are used (e.g. BMW picks Spa and everyone races a specific model of BMW - modified identically in any way BMW chooses). They supply all the cars at no cost and OWRS allocates the cars randomly.

3) The cars are painted in the driver's current livery.

4) After each race, the cars are auctioned off.

[Andrew Longman]

OWRS should pick up the banner and run a similar series. And here's how it should work:

1) 5 or so manufacturers should participate.

2) Each manufacturer sponsors one race. They decide where it is and what cars are used (e.g. BMW picks Spa and everyone races a specific model of BMW - modified identically in any way BMW chooses). They supply all the cars at no cost and OWRS allocates the cars randomly.

3) The cars are painted in the driver's current livery.

4) After each race, the cars are auctioned off.


That's a very good idea.

More realistically, dial it back a bit and have Ford supply tricked up V8 Mustangs or the like at several Champcar events. Let's say LB, Cleveland, RA, Milwaukee and Australia. Invite a few Nextel Cup guys, F1 (even ex F1 if that's all you could get), WRC, Touring Car/Super car stars and the like. Do it right and it be a big draw. Look how popular the celebrity race is at LB.

[bigdcart]

IROC is a joke and has been for years – TRUE
Ryan Newman is now the world’s best driver – FALSE
IROC is NASCAR II – TRUE
The CCWS schedule probably wouldn’t allow Tracy to compete – TRUE

Paul isn’t losing sleep over the IROC. What he is miffed about is that he wasn’t invited to compete in the event. For the Royal Crown (or is it Crown Royal?) people to dismiss Paul is an insult and PT wanted them to know that.

[Brickman]

IROC went down the tubes when they quit going to Riverside and Watkins Glen.