Revived IROC Race Joins Freedom 250 on D.C. Street Circuit

The revived International Race of Champions exhibition race will join the Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend in Washington, D.C., with IROC Presented by Chevrolet scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 22. The event will take place on a 1.7-mile street circuit around the National Mall as part of the Aug. 22-23 motorsports weekend, which organizers said will mark the first NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on Washington streets and is tied to the city’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The exhibition field will include former NASCAR Cup champions Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott, along with INDYCAR and Indianapolis 500 winners Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti. Drivers will compete in authentic IROC Pontiac Firebirds from the series’ 1996-2006 era.

The route is set to pass the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives, and will include a high-speed section on Pennsylvania Avenue. Organizers said the free two-day festival is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans, and the participating former stars will hold a free autograph session on Saturday. Ray Evernham said the exhibition will give fans a unique backdrop and highlight Washington’s landmarks.