Today’s Guest Post by John Larsen
As a young boy I looked forward to watching the International Race of Champions (IROC) series on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. It was based on a unique concept of having the best-of-the-best racers from around the world compete in identical cars. The series attracted drivers from Formula One, Indy, NASCAR and sports car racing. Over many years, famous drivers such as Mark Donahue, Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Al Unser Jr and Sr, Danny Sullivan, A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti all competed in the series– along with many others.
Initially the cars used were Porsche RSRs with the series eventually transitioning through Chevrolet Camaros, Dodge Daytonas, Dodge Avengers and finally Pontiac Trans Ams. The series competed at various venues including ovals, road courses and street circuits until the final 2006 season.
In early 2024, NASCAR Hall of Fame member, Ray Evernham, and venture capitalist Rob Kauffman purchased the rights to IROC and shortly afterwards announced an IROC event was to be held at Lime Rock Park, CT. The event was going to include many of the drivers that competed in IROC events years earlier!
Upon hearing this news, I ordered tickets and proceeded to find accommodations. The trifecta of seeing many of the original cars on the track, at Lime Rock (where I have never been to previously) with some of my favorite drivers behind the wheel was not an opportunity I would miss out on. It was the first time I have been to a motorsports event that was sold out. Good thing I ordered tickets in advance.
Lime Rock is a great venue for spectating and taking photos as there are numerous vantage points unhindered by fencing. My trusty Canon EOS 7D Mark 2 combined with the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lens were the perfect combination for this track.
The line for the fans to meet the drivers and get autographs was very long and everyone had a great time. I managed to have a brief chat with one of my racing heroes, Danny Sullivan, as he autographed a photo I had made of him at the Toronto Indy in 1985.
If you are interested to see these historic cars please go to the IROC website to find events at https://www.iroc-racing.com/.
John Larsen is located in the Greater Toronto Area, whose PhotoGraffics website contains samples of motorsports and hot air balloon photography from numerous Canadian balloon fests.