Anyone Remember the IROC-Z?
The International Race of Champions, or IROC, played host to many great drivers, and helped spawn some memorable cars, including Chevy Camaro’s IROC-Z.
Written by Alex Reale
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Table of Contents
For car racing fans in 2022, there are lots of options. You can jump on the F1 train, or crack open a six pack at the Indy 500. You could even do some (admittedly extreme) tinkering on your own car and try your hand at drag racing.
But one notable omission from the racing lineup is the
International Race of Champions, or IROC
, which ran not quite continuously from 1974 to 2006. It was here that the IROC-Z Camaro
found its roots. Read on to revisit the production vehicle that was descended from a champion racer. A brief history of the IROC
The International Race of Champions was the brainchild of Roger Penske, Les Richter, and Mike Phelps, reports
MotorTrend
. They sought to bring together the best drivers to race against each other, but in competitions that flattened the advantages of customized cars. In the IROC series, 12 of the top drivers, selected from various automotive organizations like NASCAR and F1, would drive the exact same stock car in four meets. The winner would claim victory, the idea went, based solely on his own abilities behind the wheel.
Once the idea had taken hold, the heads of IROC had to figure out which car would have the honor of taking up 12 spots on the oval track. For the first season, which began in 1973, the lucky winner was the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR, notes
GM EFI
. Twelve of these identically-modified beauties competed for the championship, which was eventually clinched by Mark Donohue, of 1972 Indy 500 fame. The International Race of Champions was off to an exciting start. A second season switch-up
For the 1975 season, a less expensive car took the place of the SRS: the Chevy Camaro. For the first two Camaro seasons, reports GM EFI, the drivers took the wheel of a modified production vehicle. These Camaros generated 440 hp with a four-speed manual transmission.
But in 1977, Penske and company were ready to take the Chevy racers to the next level. Starting from scratch, they built second generation IROC Camaros that generated 10 additional horses and were supported by a fiberglass-coated tube chassis. These unique vehicles lasted through the 1980 season.
IROC saw a four-year interruption in the action, thanks to financial struggles, but when it returned in 1984 a third generation Camaro was waiting in the wings. This was the iconic Camaro Z28.
Gen Z
The Camaro Z28 would go on to rule the IROC for all of the ‘80s. This 470 hp beast sported a new and improved suspension, transmission, and shocks, as well as changes to the interior and exterior aesthetic. With nine seasons of these guys zooming around the track, with the best names in driving behind the wheel, Chevy had created a legend.
But the Camaro Z28 didn’t just leave a racing legacy. Chevy, recognizing the potential of a streetcar that evoked the power and glory of the Z28, capitalized. In 1985, it released a performance package called the IROC-Z. This transformed a production Camaro into a daring racer.
IROC-Z purchasers could upgrade their engine to a powerful V8, and then elect to take their car up 25 notches of horsepower. Along with the improvements on speed and power came impressive handling abilities, courtesy of an improved suspension and a lower body. The whole thing just looks like a race car.
Though it wasn’t for everyone, the IROC-Z option was a tantalizing addition to the Camaro landscape, and a salute to the classic races of the late 20th century. If anyone wants to get the IROC started again, we wouldn’t say no.
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