NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon is getting back behind the wheel. He is taking on several other racing icons in a Hall of Fame battle at the Ten Tenths Motor Club in Concord, North Carolina.
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This battle will simultaneously be a throwback event and historic debut. The International Race of Champions (IROC) will take on the motorsports facility built by Rick Hendrick and Speedway Motorsports, specifically, the 1.7-mile road course.
This will mark the first time that the historic racing series has competed at the Ten Tenths Motor Club. The big event will take place on Friday, April 10, as it closes out the Heritage Invitational. Drivers will compete in the authentic IROC race cars previously used by the racing series.
Excited to join the IROC field at the Heritage Invitational. pic.twitter.com/uWJtUltMZG
— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) April 2, 2026
According to the announcement graphic, Gordon will drive a Pontiac Firebird as he makes his return to the series. The four-time Cup Series champion previously competed in IROC between 1995-2000.
The list of drivers includes multiple other prominent racers. This group features 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, five-time IMSA champion Scott Pruett, former sports car winner Max Papis, four-time Trans Am Series champion Tommy Kendall, Trans Am champion Tomy Drissi, 2000 Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte, four-time Cup winner Ken Schrader, and 40-time Cup winner Mark Martin.
Helio Castroneves made a tremendous save at Daytona in 2003. Helio was running third in the IROC race when he drove that Pontiac through the grass at 185 mph pic.twitter.com/jiBqZS33fa
— nascarman (@nascarman_rr) January 6, 2025
IROC came to prominence in 1973 and beyond. This series put drivers from different disciplines in identically prepared race cars and tested them at a variety of race tracks. These competitors were on equal footing as they just focused on driving skills instead of engineering.
This series ended in 2006 as the brand went into a hiatus lasting nearly 20 years. However, venture capitalist Rob Kauffman and Hall of Famer Ray Evernham acquired the series in 2024. They then held their first IROC event in July 2024.
Busch won the IROC championship in 2003, his first year competing in the series. Martin holds the record with five IROC championships to his name.
