
IROC IX was the ninth year of
IROC
International Race of Champions (IROC) was a North American auto racing competition, created by Les Richter, Roger Penske and Mike Phelps, promoted as an equivalent of an American motorsports All-Star Game. Despite its name, the IROC was pr ...
competition, which took place in 1985. It saw the use of the
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro share ...
in all races, was the second straight season that television coverage was on CBS, and continued the format introduced in
IROC VIII
IROC VIII was the eighth year of IROC competition, which took place in 1984. It saw the use of the Chevrolet Camaro in all races, and was the first incarnation of the IROC format in which twelve drivers from different series compete in all four r ...
. Race one took place on the
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. In addition to NASC ...
, race two took place at
Mid-Ohio, race three was rained out at
Talladega Superspeedway, and race four concluded the year at
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than approximately south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is ...
.
Harry Gant won the championship and $158,200 in a tie-breaker with
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip (born February 5, 1947) is an American motorsports analyst, author, former national television broadcaster, and stock car driver. He raced from 1972 to 2000 in the NASCAR Cup Series (known as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series dur ...
.
The roster of drivers and final points standings were as follows:
IROC season statistics at racing-reference.info
Retrieved March 8, 2007
Race results
Race One, Daytona International Speedway
Friday, February 15, 1985
(5) Indicates 5 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the most laps.
(3) Indicates 3 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the 2nd most laps
(2) Indicates 2 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the 3rd most laps.
Average speed:
Cautions: 1 (Lap 15, Tom Gloy accident in the tri-oval.)
Margin of victory: 3 sec
Lead changes: 3
Race Two, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Friday, June 8, 1985
(5) Indicates 5 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the most laps.
(3) Indicates 3 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the 2nd most laps
(2) Indicates 2 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the 3rd most laps (Did not occur in this race so not awarded).
Average speed:
Cautions: none
Margin of victory: 2.4 sec
Lead changes: 1
Race Three, Talladega Superspeedway
''This race was scheduled for Saturday July 27th, 1985 but was canceled due to rain''
Race Four, Michigan International Speedway
Saturday, August 10, 1985
(5) Indicates 5 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the most laps.
(3) Indicates 3 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the 2nd most laps
(2) Indicates 2 bonus points added to normal race points scored for leading the 3rd most laps.
Average speed:
Cautions: none
Margin of victory: 4 feet
Lead changes: 8
Notes
# Harry Gant and Darrell Waltrip tied for the championship, but Gant was awarded the title due to a higher finishing position in the final race.
# Terry Labonte and Derek Bell tied for fifth place, but Labonte was awarded the position due a higher finish in the final race.
# Mario Andretti did not compete in the final race due to injury.
References
External links
{{IROC Championship
International Race of Champions
1985 in American motorsport