Bourdais on IROC Pole, Says He Doesn’t Want It
Written by Scott Keller · February 17, 2005
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Photo: CCWS
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The 2004 Champ Car World Series Champion, Sebastian Bourdais, drew the pole for the first IROC race at Daytona. Most drivers would be thrilled, but Sebastian says he didn’t want the pole for his first IROC race. Who can really blame the guy, though? We all know the boys from NASCAR are going to team up on the open-wheel guys and eat them as a tasty snack as they prepare for Sunday’s main course.
Foxsports.com: IROC rookie Bourdais will take the pole, but he doesn’t want it
This just is a reminder of how biased IROC is toward NASCAR drivers. It is a series of four oval races in stock cars. It seems really odd to me that IROC can’t seem to coordinate with two of NASCAR’s road races to give the non-NASCAR boys a living chance.
The only open-wheel driver in the last 20 years that had the overall talent to run with the NASCAR boys on the ovals was Al Unser, Jr. who won the series in ‘86 and ‘88. What is interesting, however, is that IROC was dominated in the first six years by open-wheel racers:
1974 Mark Donohue
1975 Bobby Unser
1976 A. J. Foyt
1977 A. J. Foyt
1978 Al Unser
1979 Mario AndrettiGet more stats at irocracing.com
Granted, that is a list of legends, but it shows the series hasn’t always been a NASCAR dynasty. Obviously motorsports has changed a lot in 30 years, and I think it is time for IROC to change with the times and be a more comprehensive series. I prepose that IROC should swap out two of the ovals for road courses, or add two road courses to the current schedule.
As for this Saturday, just hang on tight, Sebastian!
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3 Responses to “Bourdais on IROC Pole, Says He Doesn’t Want It”
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Lets not forget that at the start in 74, IROC was all road races. then from 1975 until 1988 there were two and two as you suggest. Then there was 3 oval and 1 road till 1991. Since 1992 it has been an all oval all the time NASCAR party. There were IROC road races at The Glen, and the old Riverside track with Nascar, and the Cleveland Airport and Mid Ohio with CART. In the old days F1, IMSA and SCCA competed with NACSAR and CART or USAC. It was a real Interational Race of Champions. Now it is just a NASCAR invitational turnament.
Excellent point, and some history I didn’t know. I really didn’t get into auto racing until my college years, which was the early 90’s, so I assumed that IROC always was ovals. Thanks for the great comment post!
Hey,
I own the 1975 penske #9 IROC Camaro, and I am hoping somebody can help connect with the other 75 IROC owners. Thanks for any leads contacts etc.
Thanks again
Daniel Giannini