Star-Studded IROC Lineup Confirmed for Washington D.C. Grand Prix Weekend

As part of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend with IndyCar, the revived IROC Series (International Race of Champions) will take center stage, competing on the challenging 1.7-mile street course with the iconic U.S. Capitol Building serving as a dramatic backdrop.

Two action-packed 20-minute races are scheduled for Saturday, with Race #1 starting at 3pm EST and Race #2 immediately following at 4pm EST.

The field of eight drivers is star-studded, featuring legendary names from across the motorsports world. Here is a look at the full lineup:

Jeff Gordon — 4x NASCAR Cup Series champion and 3x Daytona 500 winner

Currently serving as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports alongside team owner Rick Hendrick, Jeff Gordon’s legendary NASCAR career spanned 25 years, encompassing 805 Cup starts and 93 victories—third-most on the all-time wins list. Gordon secured three Daytona 500 triumphs and claimed at least three victories in each of NASCAR’s four crown jewel events. He captured the Cup Series championship in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. Beyond stock car racing, Gordon earned an overall victory in the 2017 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and earlier in his career, he was a USAC Silver Crown and USAC National Midget Series champion.

Helio Castroneves — 4x Indianapolis 500 winner and 3x Rolex 24 winner

With nearly 400 starts between IndyCar and CART, Helio Castroneves has secured 31 race wins. He is tied for the most Indianapolis 500 victories in history, claiming the prestigious race in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021. Castroneves also achieved overall victory in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in three consecutive years and became an IMSA champion in 2020. His sports car racing triumphs include back-to-back wins at Petit Le Mans and several other IMSA victories. Just before his 50th birthday, he made his NASCAR Daytona 500 debut in 2025.

Kurt Busch — NASCAR Cup Series champion and Daytona 500 winner

The elder brother of Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch started 776 NASCAR Cup races, winning 34 times during his career. He became a NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2004 and won the Daytona 500 in 2017. Busch also attempted the Indy-Charlotte Double in 2014, earning a sixth-place finish in his Indianapolis 500 debut. Additionally, Busch is a true IROC champion, earning the crown in 2003.

Tony Kanaan — IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner

Now serving as the team principal for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, Tony Kanaan (“TK”) ran nearly 400 races between IndyCar and CART in a career spanning over two decades. He won 17 races across both series, including the 2013 Indianapolis 500. He also won the 2004 IndyCar championship, and beyond the open-wheel world, snagged an overall victory in the 2015 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

Bill Elliott — NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2x Daytona 500 winner

Elliott holds the record for the fastest qualifying lap in NASCAR history, lapping Talladega Superspeedway at 212.809 mph in 1987. He started 828 Cup races in his career, earning 44 wins that included victories in the 1985 and 1987 Daytona 500. He won the Southern 500 three times in his career, as well as the Brickyard 400 in 2002. Elliott’s career at the top level of the sport spanned an incredible 38 years.

Bobby Labonte — NASCAR Cup Series champion

Labonte started 729 Cup races in his career, earning 21 wins and the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series title over Dale Earnhardt. He earned victories in the Southern 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Brickyard 400. Notably, he is the oldest driver to ever win a Superstar Racing Experience event, doing so at the age of 58. Labonte also won a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title (then known as the Busch Series) in 1991. Like Kurt Busch, he is a former IROC champion, earning the crown in 2001.

Tommy Kendall — IMSA champion and 4x Trans-Am champion

Stepping in for IndyCar legend Dario Franchitti after he had to pull out of the event, Tommy Kendall had an impressive career. He was an IMSA GTS champion in 1993, but most of his success came in the Trans-Am Series, where he earned the title in 1990, 1995, 1996, and 1997.

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