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IROC XXVI - 2002

iROC

The International Race of Champions was an auto racing competition, featuring identically-prepared stock cars set up by a single team of mechanics, in an effort to make the race purely a test of driver ability. It was run with a small field of invited drivers (6-12) from all the major racing series including NASCAR, SCCA, FIA and USAC. Over the years CART and the IRL drivers, among others also participated.

 

IROC - (1974-2006) Main Page
IROC - (1974-2006) Champions

IROC XXVI - 2002

Tony Stewart, representing the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, captured his second career IROC victory in the traditional opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. Stewart's margin of victory over reigning IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. was a mere .111 seconds. Finishing third was IRL driver Scott Sharp, fourth was NASCAR truck champion Jack Sprague and rounding out the top five was Al Unser Jr. of the IRL, giving the IRL three of the top five positions. After a four-year absence the series returned to California Speedway in Fontana where Kevin Harvick turned out a dominant performance leading 46 of the 50-lap event to claim the victory in only his second IROC race. Race three brought the series to its first appearance at Chicagoland Speedway. Buddy Lazier led a 1-2-3 sweep for the IRL with drivers Unser and Helio Castroneves finishing second and third respectively. It was Lazier's first victory in the series and the first time a driver led every lap of a IROC race since Mark Martin accomplished the feat at Charlotte in 1996. When the series left Chicago, Harvick had the points lead, but 10 of the 12 drivers were still in contention for the championship when the series arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the final event of the season. NASCAR Winston Cup driver, Ken Schrader, substituting for the injured Danny Lasoski, started on the pole. Dale Jarrett, starting second, jumped into the lead on the first lap and never looked back, wining his second career IROC race. Castroneves finished second, followed by Schrader, Lazier, and Harvick. Harvick's fifth place finish awarded him the 2002 IROC championship. He became the sixth rookie driver to win the championship and the first to claim the title representing the Busch Series. The other rookie champions were: Mark Donohue (1974), Harry Gant (1985), Al Unser Jr. (1986), Geoff Bodine (1987) and Ricky Rudd (1992). (from IROC Website)

Final Points


IROC 26 Champion
Kevin Harvick



Position

Driver/Residence/Sanction

Points

Money Earned

1
Kevin Harvick - NASCAR Busch Series
54 $250,000
2
Buddy Lazier - IRL
49 $125,000
3
Dale Jarrett - NASCAR Winston Cup
49 $  95,000
4
Helio Castroneves - Indy Racing League
43 $ 90,000
5
Bobby Labonte - NASCAR Winston Cup
43 $  85,000
6
Tony Stewart - NASCAR Winston Cup
42 $  80,000
7
Al Unser Jr. - IRL
39 $  80,000
8
Jack Sprague - NASCAR Truck Series
36 $  80,000
9
Scott Sharp - IRL
36 $  80,000
10
Sterling Marlin - NASCAR Winston Cup
35 $  80,000
11
Sam Hornish Jr. - IRL
35 $  80,000
12
Danny Lasoski - World of Outlaws
30 $ 80,000

 

Race One

 
February 15, 2002
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
2.5-mile high-banked oval, 40 laps, 100 miles

 

Finish

Start

Car

Name/Color

Laps

Status

1 10 10
Tony Stewart/Black
40 Running
2 12 12
Sam Hornish Jr./Green
40 Running
3 1 1
Scott Sharp/Gold
40 Running
4 11 11
Jack Sprague/Med. Blue
40 Running
5 6 6
Al Unser Jr./Yellow
40 Running
6 2 2
Danny Lasoski/White
40 Running
7 8 8
Bobby Labonte/Silver
40 Running
8 3 3
Sterling Marlin/Dk Blue
40 Running
9 5 5
Kevin Harvick/Lt Orange
40 Running
10 7 7
Buddy Lazier/Lt Blue
40 Running
11 4 4
Helio Castroneves/Dk Orange
40 Running
12 9 9
Dale Jarrett/Aqua
40 Running

Time of Race: 34 min.10 sec.
Average Speed: 175.610
Margin of Victory: .111 sec
Caution Flags : 2
Lead Changes: 9 among 7
Lap Leaders: Sharp 1, Marlin 2-3, Unser, Jr. 4-8, Jarrett 9, Stewart 10-14, Harvick 15, Labonte 16-17, Stewart 18-20, Unser, Jr. 21-38, Stewart 39-40


Race Two

April 27, 2002
California Speedway
Fontana, CA
2.0-mile oval, 50 laps, 100 miles

 

Finish

Start

Car

Name/Color

Laps

Status

1 4 9
Kevin Harvick/Med Blue
50
Running
2 6 7
Bobby Labonte/Violet
50
Running
3 1 12
Dale Jarrett/Red
50
Running
4 5 8
Sterling Marlin/Evans Orange
50
Running
5 9 4
Jack Sprague/White
50
Running
6 12 1
Tony Stewart/Aqua
50
Running
7 2 11
Helio Castroneves/Powder Blue
50
Running
8 8 5
Al Unser Jr./Gold
50
Running
9 3 10
Buddy Lazier/Yellow
50
Running
10 10 3
Scott Sharp/Dk Blue
50
Running
11 11 2
Sam Hornish Jr./Silver
50
Running
12
7
6
Danny Lasoski/Lime
49
Running

 


Time of Race: 37 min.08 sec.
Average Speed: 161.580
Margin of Victory: ..149 sec
Caution Flags: 0
Lead Changes: 7 among 3
Lap Leaders: Harvick 1-8, Labonte 9-10, Harvick 11-27, Stewart 28, Harvick 29, Stewart 30, Harvick 31-50


Race Three

 
July 13, 2002
Chicagoland Speedway
Joliet, IL
1.5-mile speedway, 67 laps, 100.5 miles.

 

Finish

Start

Car

Name/Color

Laps

Status

1 1 12
Buddy Lazier/Rose
67
Running
2 8 5
Al Unser Jr./Violet
67
Running
3 3 10
Helio Castroneves/Gold
67
Running
4 11 2
Kevin Harvick/White
67
Running
5 5 8
Scott Sharp/Cream
67
Running
6 7 6
Sam Hornish Jr./Med Blue
67
Running
7 6 7
Sterling Marlin/Yellow
67
Running
8 10 3
Bobby Labonte/Red
67
Running
9 4 9
Dale Jarrett/Dk Blue
67
Running
10 9 4
Jack Sprague/Silver
66
Running
11 2 11
Danny Lasoski/Aqua
54
Running
12
12
1
Tony Stewart/Orange
19
Running

Time of Race: 37 min. 22 sec.
Average Speed: 161.374 MPH
Margin of Victory: 5.195 sec
Caution Flags: 0
Lead Changes: None
Lap Leaders: Lazier 1-67


Race Four

 
August 3, 2002
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis, IN
2.5-mile oval, 40 laps, 100 miles

 

Finish

Start

Car

Name/Color

Laps

Status

1 2 11
Dale Jarrett/Med Blue
40
Running
2 3 10
Helio Castroneves/Cream
40
Running
3 1 12
Ken Schrader (D. Lasoski)/Aqua
40
Running
4 8 5
Buddy Lazier/Red
40
Running
5 11 1
Kevin Harvick/Violet
40
Running
6 5 8
Jack Sprague/Rose
40
Running
7 4 9
Sterling Marlin/Lt Blue
40
Running
8 6 7
Scott Sharp/Dk Blue
40
Running
9 9 4
Bobby Labonte/White
40
Running
10 7 6
Sam Hornish Jr./Lime
40
Running
11 10 3
Tony Stewart/Orange
30
Engine

 

Time of Race: 37min 57sec
Average Speed: 158.137mph
Margin of Victory: .380
Caution Flags: 0
Lead Changes: None
Lap Leaders: 1-40 Jarrett