IROC joins Freedom 250 weekend

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix has announced the addition of a special exhibition featuring the International Race of Champions (IROC) during the Aug. 22-23 event on the streets of Washington, D.C. to be headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series.

The IROC Presented by Chevrolet line-up for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend will feature a motorsports legends from NASCAR and IndyCar history. Former NASCAR Cup Series champions Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott will race on the 1.7-mile Freedom 250 Grand Prix street circuit around the National Mall, alongside IndyCar greats Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti. The drivers will compete in authentic IROC Pontiac Firebirds that raced in series competition from 1996 through 2006.

Originally launched in 1973, IROC gained worldwide recognition as a premier all-star competition, uniting top drivers from racing disciplines including NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1 and sports car racing to compete in identical cars, placing the focus entirely on driver skill. NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham and Rob Kauffman acquired the rights to the IROC brand and revived the series, bringing some of racing’s living legends together for special exhibition races at select motorsports events.

“The Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend represents a truly unique opportunity for motorsports and our country,” said Evernham, co-principal of IROC. “To see IndyCar and IROC race on such hallowed ground, against the backdrop of some of our nation's most iconic landmarks, will be something truly special for competitors and fans alike. We are honored to have IROC included in the festivities and we look forward to putting on a great show for the fans.”

IROC will practice and race on the Freedom 250 Grand Prix street circuit on Saturday, Aug. 22. The drivers competing in the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IROC race will also host a free autograph session for fans on Saturday.

“We are proud to welcome the International Race of Champions to the Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend, as we honor racing history by bringing some of the sport’s greatest heroes to this already legendary weekend,” said Bud Denker, chairman of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix. “IROC has always represented the best of the best, bringing together champions from across motorsports to compete on equal footing. From the current IndyCar stars to former NASCAR and IndyCar champions, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will be a celebration of racing’s past and present competing at one of the most iconic settings in the world.”

Set against the backdrop of the National Mall, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will serve as a centerpiece of the national celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The free, two-day motorsports festival is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of fans to the nation’s capital, blending North America’s premier open-wheel racing series with historic pageantry.

The 1.7-mile, seven-turn Freedom 250 Grand Prix course will wind through the heart of Washington, D.C., circling the National Mall with cars racing alongside some of the most iconic landmarks in the world. The street circuit will feature a high-speed 0.4-mile run down Pennsylvania Avenue, dramatically framed by the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. Pit lane will sit just off the straight between Turns 1 and 2, keeping the crews and cars at the center of the action. The drivers will speed past landmarks including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives, creating a course that blends technical challenge with an unmistakable and historic backdrop.