IROC XXIX - 2005

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 XXIX - 2005

NASCAR Nextel Cup star Mark Martin took home the 2005 Crown Royal IROC $1 million dollar prize in record-breaking fashion becoming the first five-time series champion and the all-time series race winner with 13 career IROC victories.

Martin collected two race wins on his way to the 2005 championship breaking a three-way tie with Al Unser Jr. and the late Dale Earnhardt, each with 11 race wins. Martin was also in a tie with Earnhardt for overall championships until being awarded his fifth IROC championship trophy. Martin also retains the record of being the only three-time consecutive champion.

Martin’s competition for the Crown Royal IROC $1 million championship, included the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion, Kurt Busch; 2004 Champ Car World Series Champion, Sebastien Bourdais; 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner, Buddy Rice; 2004 NASCAR Busch Series Champion, Martin Truex Jr.; 2004 World of Outlaws Champion, Steve Kinser; 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, Bobby Hamilton; 2004 Grand American Rolex Series co-champions, Scott Pruett and Max Papis; 2004 Crown Royal IROC Champion, Matt Kenseth; 2004 World of Outlaws Series runner-up, Danny Lasoski, and two-time Indianapolis 500 Champion, Helio Castroneves.

In the February opening event at Daytona International Speedway, Mark Martin, with Martin Truex Jr. in his tire tracks, passed defending IROC champion Matt Kenseth on a restart with four laps to go claiming the checkered flag and becoming the winningest driver in the series history with his 12 th career IROC race win. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, Bobby Hamilton finished third followed by Kenseth and reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Rice rounding out the top five, while pole-sitter Sebastien Bourdais of the Champ Car World Series was caught in a wreck on lap 36 and finished last in the 12-car field.

Rallying back from his misfortune in round one, and in only his second start in a stock car, Champ Car World Series Champion, Sebastien Bourdais held off a late charge by Mark Martin to become just the fourth foreigner to win a Crown Royal IROC race in round two at Texas Motor Speedway.

Round three at Richmond International Raceway ended in a photo-finish with Mark Martin nudging the nose of his IROC car a mere .021 seconds ahead of Roush Racing teammate Kurt Busch in one of the Series closest finishes in IROC history. Martin’s record 13 th IROC race win all but clinched the title going into the final race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Martin only needed to start the season ending Crown Royal IROC race at Atlanta to take the championship, but from the on track action, with three and four-wide racing you would have thought everyone had a chance at the $1 million first place purse.

At the end of the 65-lap, 100.1-mile event it was Martin Truex Jr. claiming his first Crown Royal IROC trophy and joining Mark Martin in victory lane. Truex Jr.’s win secured the IROC rookie second place in the final points standings.

Another history-making event took place in 2005 during the Crown Royal IROC Atlanta race week. After nearly three decades of championship racing, the IROC series and title sponsor Crown Royal announced its first ever all-time IROC driver team dubbed the “Crown Royal IROC Legends of Victory Lane.” Mario Andretti, the late Dale Earnhardt, Scott Pruett and Steve Kinser were voted by the fans to the all-time team and were honored in a ceremony held at the year’s final IROC race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Nearly a quarter-million fans voted for the Legends team from a list of 12 finalists including: Andretti, Kinser, Al Unser Jr. and Bobby Unser (open-wheel); Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte and Cale Yarborough (stock car); and Pruett, Hurley Haywood, Tommy Kendall, and Mark Donohue (road racing). (from IROC Website)

Final Points
IROC 29 Champion Mark Martin
Pos.	Name/Representing	Daytona	Texas	Richmond	Atlanta	Points
1	Mark Martin NASCAR Nextel Cup	24	18	25	22	89
2	Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR Busch Series	17	12	10	29	68
3	Matt KensethNASCAR Nextel Cup	20	6	14	15	55
4	Buddy Rice IRL Indy Car Series	10	16	12	8	46
5	Sebastien Bourdais Champ Car World Series	3	29	5	9	46
6	Kurt Busch NASCAR Nextel Cup	8	7	25	3	43
7	Bobby Hamilton NASCAR Craftsman Truck	14	10	3	7	34
8	Danny Lasoski World of Outlaws	8	8	8	10	34
9	Helio CastronevesIRL Indy Car Series	9	5	6	12	32
10	Max Papis Grand-Am Road Racing	9	9	6	6	30
11	Steve Kinser World of Outlaws	4	9	9	7	29
12	Scott Pruett Grand-Am Road Racing	6	3	9	4	22

Race One

February 18, 2005

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Florida

2.5-mile high-banked oval, 40 laps, 100 miles

Pos.	Start	Driver	Car	Laps	Led	Laps Led	Bonus		Points	Status
1	11	Mark Martin*	#6 Lt. Blue	40	1	4	-	3	21	Running
2	4	Martin Truex Jr.	#8 Black	40	1	1	-	-	17	Running
3	8	Bobby Hamilton	#4 Dark Blue	40	1	1	-	-	14	Running
4	10	Matt Kenseth*	#17 Purple	40	1	31	3	5	12	Running
5	5	Buddy Rice	#15 Burgundy	40	-	-	-	-	10	Running
6	3	Max Papis	#16 Magenta	40	-	-	-	-	9	Running
7	9	Danny Lasoski	#20 Orange	40	-	-	-	-	8	Running
8	6	Helio Castroneves	#03 Day-glo	36	-	-	2	-	7	Accident
9	2	Kurt Busch*	#97 Red	36	3	3	-	2 -	8	Accident
10	7	Scott Pruett	#01 Gold	36	-	-	1	-	5	Accident
11	12	Steve Kinser	#11 Green	36	-	-	-	-	4	Accident
12	1	Sebastien Bourdais	#2 Yellow	36	-	-	-	-	3	Accident

Race Three

September 8, 2004

Richmond International Raceway

Richmond, VA

.75-mile oval, 90 laps, 67.5 miles.

Pos.	Start	Driver	Car	Laps	Led	Laps Led	Bonus		Points	Status
1	12	Mark Martin*	#6 Olympic Blue	90	2	3	1	3	21	Running
2	4	Kurt Busch*	#97 Red	90	2	85	3	5	17	Running
3	8	Matt Kenseth*	#17 Purple	90					14	Running
4	9	Buddy Rice	#15 Burgundy	90	-	-	-	-	12	Running
5	10	Martin Truex Jr.	#8 Black	90	-	-	-	-	10	Running
6	1	Scott Pruett	#01 Yellow	90					9	Running
7	5	Danny Lasoski	#20 Orange	90					8	Running
8	2	Steve Kinser	#11 Green	90	1	2	-	2	7	Running
9	6	Max Papis	#16 Magenta	90	-	-	-	-	6	Running
10	11	Sebastien Bourdais	#2 Yellow	89					5	Accident
11	3	Helio Castroneves	#03 Day-glo	86			2		4	Accident
12	7	Bobby Hamilton	#4 Blue	3					3	Accident

 

Time of Race: 1hour 5minutes 46seconds

Average Speed: 61.588 mph

Margin of Victory: .021

Caution Flags: 5

Lead Changes: 3 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders: 1-2 Kinser, 3-85 Busch, 86 Martin, 87-88 Busch, 89-90 Martin

Race Four

October 29, 2004

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Hampton, GA

1.5-mile oval, 65 laps, 97.5 miles

Pos.	Start	Driver	Car	Laps	Led	Laps Led	Bonus		Points	Status
1	9	Martin Truex Jr.	#8 Black	65	2	43	3	5	29	Running
2	12	Mark Martin*	#6 Olympic Blue	65	1	10	2	3	22	Running
3	10	Matt Kenseth*	#17 Purple	65			1		15	Running
4	2	Helio Castroneves	#03 Day-glo	65	1	1	-	-	12	Running
5	5	Danny Lasoski	#20 Orange	65	-	-	-	-	10	Running
6	7	Sebastien Bourdais	#2 Yellow	65	1	1			9	Running
7	8	Buddy Rice	#15 Burgundy	65					8	Running
8	3	Steve Kinser	#11 Green	65	-	-	-	-	7	Running
9	4	Max Papis	#16 Magenta	65	1	4	-	-	6	Running
10	6	Bobby Hamilton	#4 Blue	64	1	6		2	7	Accident
11	1	Scott Pruett	#01 Gold	64			-		4	Accident
12	11	Kurt Busch*	#97 Red	64					3	Running

 

Time of Race: 57 minutes 21 seconds

Average Speed: 104.630 mph

Margin of Victory: .818

Caution Flags: 2* Competition Yellow at Lap 40

Lead Changes: 6 among 3 drivers

Lap Leaders: 1 Castroneves; 2-4 Papis; 6-11 Hamilton; 12-21 Martin; 22-40 Truex Jr.; 41 Bourdais; 42-65 Truex Jr.