IROC: IROC at Indy, Fact Sheet
6 August 1999
WHAT: The 23rd running of the True Value International Race of Champions (IROC Series) race four finale. WHERE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Indiana - 2.5-Mile Speedway WHEN: Friday, August 6, 4:00 p.m. (local time). BROADCAST: (Next Day) ABC Sports - Saturday, August 7, 4:30-5:30 p.m. (ET) WHO: 12 of the world's top drivers, representing different types of auto racing, competing at the invitation of IROC race organizers. The field includes defending IROC Champion, Mark Martin /NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Greg Moore/ FedEx Championship Series, Dale Earnhardt/ NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr./NASCAR Busch Series, Kenny Brack/Pep Boys Indy Racing League, Bobby Labonte/NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Rusty Wallace/NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Eddie Cheever Jr./Pep Boys Indy Racing League, Dale Jarrett/NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Adrian Fernandez/FedEx Championship Series, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton/ NASCAR Winston Cup Series. DISTANCE: 100 Miles, 40 Laps (Yellow flag laps do not count). PURSE: Total $760,000 with $225,000 awarded to the Champion based on points standings at the end of the fourth race. LINE UP: Starting order determined by reverse order of point standings. LAST YEAR: 1998 Mark Martin took the lead from Jimmy Vasser with four laps to go to win the inaugural True Value IROC Series race at the Brickyard and his, unprecedented, fourth IROC Championship. Martin started 11th but steadily advanced to a challenging position, taking second place from Al Unser Jr. on lap 28. He finished .247 second ahead of Unser Jr., with Vasser third. THIS YEAR: Dale Earnhardt, with the help of Bobby Labonte, made a last minute move on Mark Martin to win round one, Friday, Feb. 12 at Daytona. Earnhardt finished 0.107 second ahead of Labonte who edged out Martin for second in a photo-finish. Dale Earnhardt backed up his Daytona effort and won round two on Saturday, April 24th at the Talladega Superspeedway. Earnhardt took the high groove through the tri-oval to overtake Rusty Wallace at the stripe. Rusty had been in command from lap 23 of the 38-lap event when Earnhardt made the move that won the race by .075 second. Dale Earnhardt made it three for three in what is said to be one of the most emotion packed finishes in racing. Earnhardt held off his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., at the line to win by .007 second at Michigan Speedway on June 11th. Fast Facts: Mark Martin is the defending True Value IROC champion . . . Martin won the inaugural IROC at Indy last year and broke his record of first-ever three-time champion by claiming his fourth True Value IROC championship and, record setting, third straight title, (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998) . . . In 1995 Dale Earnhardt interrupted Martin's streak to take the True Value IROC crown . . . Dale Earnhardt, once again is Martin's nemesis, only has to finish eighth, or better, to assure himself of the 1999 championship. The last two INDY 500 winners, Kenny Brack ('99) and Eddie Cheever Jr. ('98) will start 7th and 1st respectively . . . Brack is 6th in points and Cheever Jr. is 12th going into race four at Indy. Three drivers offer International appeal: Kenny Brack, Karlstad, Sweden, Greg Moore, Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada, and Adrian Fernandez, Mexico City, Mexico.
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos and racing art, please visit The Racing Image Galleries and The Visions of Speed Art Gallery .