It’s All Over Now — For IROC

[swazworth]

It’s All Over Now — For IROC
IROC auctions off its assets to officially end an era.


IROC's race cars were among the first items to be auctioned over the weekend.

By Walter Elliott
TINTON FALLS, N.J. — The International Race of Champions headquarters, with two of three scheduled auction days held Friday and Saturday, is on its way to becoming a memory here.
Most of IROC’s contents, including 13 Pontiac Firebird stock cars, parts, tools, machinery and memorabilia — were bidded away by Eatontown auctioneer Stephen J. Miranti. Some items, with several requiring dismantling, remained at the 20,000-square-foot shop Monday morning, waiting to get picked up by their new owners.
Miranti has a 10 a.m. Saturday bidding start set for shelving and office equipment.
IROC President Jay Signore and his remaining employees will then leave 45 Park St., down to its bare walls with documents and memories of the 35-year-old series.
“People have asked why we didn’t go to the Indianapolis or Charlotte area,” said Signore. “We have transportation access since we’re near Garden State Parkway Exit 105. I’ve always liked living in New Jersey.”
Jay and Barbara Signore oversaw a staff of 25 employees, mostly mechanics and technicians from the local area. Some staffers had experience racing at nearby Wall Township and New Egypt speedways.
“Some have already gone south to work and a few have decided to stay in New Jersey,” said Signore. “We did everything here, including the marketing and sponsorship.”
Signore said that sponsorship searching was the hardest aspect of the business. Finding a successor to Crown Royal when that series contract expired in 2006 led to his canceling the 2007 series.
That lack of sponsorship eventually caused Signore to announce IROC’s end last autumn and schedule the auction. Auction proceeds would defray the cost of keeping his staff for the last year. Signore contrasted the closure to when the series went on hiatus from 1981-83.
“I wasn’t that involed with IROC then,” said Signore. “I understand that it had to do with Chevrolet being late in introducing its new Camaro in 1982.”
Roger Penske and Riverside (Calif.) Int’l Raceway President Les Richter created IROC as an all-star series to help determine who is the world’s best driver. Mark Donohue won the initial four-race series in 1973-74 aboard Porsche Carerra RSRs. Penske Racing switched to Z28 Camaros the next year through 1980.
Signore first used the IROC Camaros in the revived era and moved on to Chrysler Daytonas and Avengers. Pontiac permitted use of its Firebird Trans-Am bodywork in the final years. Five of the Firebirds faced an audience of 400 in the headquarter’s largest room Friday.
All cars had authenticated records of who raced and/or practiced in them going back to 1996. The cars were among the first lots to go. Five-time IROC titlist Mark Martin’s No. 30, as Lot 249, reportedly drew $73,000. Car No. 8, driven by the Earnhardts (Dale, Sr. and Dale, Jr.), went for $68,000.
The five 350 General Motors V-8 engines — built with $2,500 in parts and originally valued at $50,000 — went for around $7,500 on average. The $45,000 to $60,000 paint booth was sold for $5,500. At least one poster autographed by one year’s series drivers and valued at $100, went for $900.
About 100 people who had paid admission to bid or spectate were at the auction floor around 2 p.m. Saturday. Signore mostly stayed in the large-parts room, fielding questions or personally watching a bidded object leave. There were several times where he turned away from an item going out the loading dock.
“It gets hard,” said Signore. “Barbara and I are holding on to the records and take it one day at a time. I believe that three doors open for every one that closes. IROC may be back one day.”

a moment of silence.............. here is the link
http://www.nationalspeedsportnews.co...-2014-for-iroc

[GTAHVIT]

That's a bummer

[09'Z28]

well that makes it official, no I-Roc 5th Gen. everyone

[swazworth]

Originally Posted by 09'Z28

well that makes it official, no I-Roc 5th Gen. everyone

i was thinking the opposite (not that it would happen) but now chevy could just buy the name straight out.

v6-nice
v8-base nice (z28 or ss)
v8-little better (z28 or ss)
the gt500kr killer - camaro 5th gen I-Roc

now would that just floor everone??? like i said i know it wouldn't happen but that would be cool. it would also put to bed the debate on which camaro will be top dawg.

or even better??
the gt500kr killer- camaro 5th gen ZL1 I-Roc (just trying to make everybody happy)

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by swazworth

or even better??
the gt500kr killer- camaro 5th gen ZL1 I-Roc (just trying to make everybody happy)

How about Camaro RS/SS IROC-Z28 Berlinetta ZL1? Did I miss any? That would be the competitor to the Mustang Shelby GT500 King of the Road.

[Moose]

If you miss the IROC series, just watch a NASCAR race. They're all the same car now. Just different decals.

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by Moose

If you miss the IROC series, just watch a NASCAR race. They're all the same car now. Just different decals.

And the NASCAR guys kinda picked on drivers form other series. They always blocked for each other... Lost it's apeal pretty quickly for me. now back when unser and andretti and petty were trading paint. That was cool!

[Moose]

Originally Posted by gtahvit

And the NASCAR guys kinda picked on drivers form other series. They always blocked for each other... Lost it's apeal pretty quickly for me. now back when unser and andretti and petty were trading paint. That was cool!

The series became more saturated with NASCAR drivers. Consequently, they had an advantage in that the cars most resembled/drove like the cars in NASCAR, and, they teamed up well with other drivers from the NASCAR series to win alot of the IROC races.

I agree also that some of the best IROC races included Unser Jr., Cheever, etc.. The best IROC race I saw was when Cheever ran Dale Sr. off the track, only to see Sr. make another incredible save and survive to hunt Cheever down in the pits.

I recently watched an interview with Jay Signore who explained that scheduling between drivers and tracks ultimately led to the demise of the IROC series. :(

[DGthe3]

IROC should have had different races through its season. Do the ovals at Daytona and Indy, take 'em to a drag strip somewhere else, and add a road course or two. That way, the one who is the best all around driver comes to the top. Going to 4 ovals, having 75% of the drivers from Nascar doesn't really prove much.

[Camaro Lives On]

hey yall, no need to pick on the nascar drivers. it wasnt the fact that the nascar drivers were in such great numbers there, the i roc series just couldnt find sponsership(sp?). plus other drivers from other series just werent finding it to be a real challenge. but about the road couse thing, there last season, if i remember correctly, they did go to one, and it was a whopping failure. its was..... uh..... the daytona infield course, and the cars couldnt take it, they werent bulid for it. no need to pick on the nascar guys, its not there fault, iroc was on the down side of the hill since 2000. but it still sucks to see it go for good now :(

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

IROC should have had different races through its season. Do the ovals at Daytona and Indy, take 'em to a drag strip somewhere else, and add a road course or two. ....

+1

That would be awesome

[Moose]

Originally Posted by Camaro Lives On

hey yall, no need to pick on the nascar drivers. it wasnt the fact that the nascar drivers were in such great numbers there, the i roc series just couldnt find sponsership(sp?). plus other drivers from other series just werent finding it to be a real challenge. but about the road couse thing, there last season, if i remember correctly, they did go to one, and it was a whopping failure. its was..... uh..... the daytona infield course, and the cars couldnt take it, they werent bulid for it. no need to pick on the nascar guys, its not there fault, iroc was on the down side of the hill since 2000. but it still sucks to see it go for good now :(

Not picking on the Nascar drivers. It's just a fact that there were more of them in the series. Also, the IROC cars most resembled the cars from Nascar, consequently, the series favored Nascar drivers more familiar with the driving characteristics of a full bodied/heavier race car.

I too would have liked to see it survive, but lack of sponsorship, scheduling, etc., killed IROC.

[GTAHVIT]

Originally Posted by Moose

Not picking on the Nascar drivers. It's just a fact that there were more of them in the series. Also, the IROC cars most resembled the cars from Nascar, consequently, the series favored Nascar drivers more familiar with the driving characteristics of a full bodied/heavier race car.

I too would have liked to see it survive, but lack of sponsorship, scheduling, etc., killed IROC.

I always thought it was funny to see the indy or formula guys in their post race interviews get up set cus the NASCAR guys picked on em... He heh.

A bunch of musclecar NASCAR rednecks beating up on sissy tea drinking open wheeled, open cockpit almost ricer weeenies....

Git'R'Done!!!!!

[bouncertime]

In Europe they have an event every year called the Race of Champions. It is more of an IROC than the IROC was. The biggest problem with IROc was that it was dominated by NASCAR and had to follow the NASCAR Schedule. I wish they would have more coverage of the Race of Champions, cause it is a great format.