IROC to crown 2026 champion at D.C. doubleheader

The IROC Presented by Chevrolet series will crown its 2026 champion through a unique two-race format Saturday at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C.

The Freedom 250 weekend will feature a pair of IROC races as some of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR, IndyCar and sports car history return to competition on the streets of Washington, D.C. Fans along the 1.7-mile street circuit around the National Mall will see NASCAR Cup Series champions Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott share the track with Indianapolis 500 winners and IndyCar standouts Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves. Four-time Trans Am Series champion and Motorsport Hall of Famer Tommy Kendall also joins this weekend’s line-up, replacing Dario Franchitti. These legends will drive historic Pontiac Firebirds that were featured in IROC competition from 1996-2006.

The IROC action begins with two practice sessions from 10:40-11am and 12:25-12:45pm ET, followed by a pair of 20-minute timed races. Race 1 will feature a starting order set by random draw, while Race 2 will invert the finishing order from the opening race, placing an added premium on speed, skill and consistency.

The first IROC race of the weekend will stream live at 3pm on FOX One and the FOX Sports app, while Race 2 will get the green flag at 4pm. A tape-delayed broadcast of both races will air on FS1 on Sunday, Aug. 23, leading into FOX's enhanced Freedom 250 Grand Prix pre-race coverage beginning at 11:30amET with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race scheduled to take the green flag shortly after 1 p.m. ET.

“Fans are going to see two intense IROC races at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix where every position matters and every pass can make a difference in the championship,” said Bud Denker, chairman of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix. “This format creates non-stop action from the moment the green flag waves and it gives the fans that are part of this historic event the opportunity to see some of racing’s biggest stars compete for wins and a championship all in one weekend.”

If either IROC race is under caution when the 20-minute time limit expires, the event will conclude with a green-white-checkered flag finish to ensure the battle for victory ends under green-flag conditions.

The 2026 IROC champion will be determined by a low-points scoring system, with drivers earning points equal to their finishing position in each race. For example, a race victory earns one point, second place earns two points and so on. After both races are complete, the driver with the lowest combined point total will be crowned the champion.