Activity time! If a NASCAR centric IROC were to return, how would you structure it?

The Nature Boy

The Nature Boy

NASCAR needs a driver's union
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We often hear questions about how talent translates across the series and how drivers would fare if they were in actually equal equipment. Why not put this to the test?

I was thinking about how a NASCAR-centric IROC series would look, where we take the top drivers from all 3 series and give them equally prepared cars. In this scenario, we take the Championship 4 from all three series and three wild card drivers (past IROC champions and past Cup Champions not otherwise eligible) and turn them loose.

If we did this in 2023, here's how it would look:

1. 22 - Joey Logano
2. 1 - Ross Chastain
3. 20 - Christopher Bell
4. 9 - Chase Elliott
5. 54 - Ty Gibbs
6. 09 - Noah Gragson [Chase Elliott has priority for #9]
7. 7 - Justin Allgaier
8. 8 - Josh Berry
9. 38 - Zane Smith
10. 99 - Ben Rhodes
11. 18 - Chandler Smith
12. 66 - Ty Majeski
13. 5 - Kyle Larson [Past Cup Champion]
14. 08 - Kyle Busch [Past Cup Champion, running #08 because C. Smith gets priority for #18]
15. 19 - Martin Truex Jr. [Past Cup Champion]

Here is my proposed schedule:

February - Daytona
April - Martinsville
May - North Wilkesboro
June - Sonoma
August - Michigan
September - Darlington


A lot of potential in that driver lineup. What if Berry was able to outduel one of the Cup Champions for a win in equally prepared car? Someone like Zane Smith could make a strong case for a top tier ride in this scenario.

Any thoughts? Changes you'd make?
 
The Nature Boy said:
We often hear questions about how talent translates across the series and how drivers would fare if they were in actually equal equipment. Why not put this to the test?

I was thinking about how a NASCAR-centric IROC series would look, where we take the top drivers from all 3 series and give them equally prepared cars. In this scenario, we take the Championship 4 from all three series and three wild card drivers (past IROC champions and past Cup Champions not otherwise eligible) and turn them loose.

If we did this in 2023, here's how it would look:

1. 22 - Joey Logano
2. 1 - Ross Chastain
3. 20 - Christopher Bell
4. 9 - Chase Elliott
5. 54 - Ty Gibbs
6. 09 - Noah Gragson [Chase Elliott has priority for #9]
7. 7 - Justin Allgaier
8. 8 - Josh Berry
9. 38 - Zane Smith
10. 99 - Ben Rhodes
11. 18 - Chandler Smith
12. 66 - Ty Majeski
13. 5 - Kyle Larson [Past Cup Champion]
14. 08 - Kyle Busch [Past Cup Champion, running #08 because C. Smith gets priority for #18]
15. 19 - Martin Truex Jr. [Past Cup Champion]

Here is my proposed schedule:

February - Daytona
April - Martinsville
May - North Wilkesboro
June - Sonoma
August - Michigan
September - Darlington


A lot of potential in that driver lineup. What if Berry was able to outduel one of the Cup Champions for a win in equally prepared car? Someone like Zane Smith could make a strong case for a top tier ride in this scenario.

Any thoughts? Changes you'd make?
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I'd add in Eldora just for a curveball and a mile oval
 
West said:
They call it SRX now,
Click to expand...

To some extent, yes. But SRX is also not the best current drivers battling it out in equal equipment. SRX is basically a retirement series with some current guys sprinkled in. I would use the SRX cars for this though.

KTMLew01 said:
Cup IS IROC. Common chassis, common engine design, store bought unmodified bodies. It's IROC's 1st cousin.
Click to expand...

What made IROC different is that everyone also ran a common set up and you got the car straight from the sanctioning body. The Cup Series still has teams putting the cars together and making adjustments. In a true spec series, a RWR car wouldn't be any different than a Hendrick car and we all know that isn't actually the case.
 
I think the best drivers are in Cup. Taking the top four from the other series would only validate that thought.
Not sure this would be the best way to create a new series.
 
I prefer the SRX veteran/rookie/retirement tour over IROC again.

Would like to see 14 car fields for SRX though so we can see a few more “current” drivers like Luke Fenhaus, Bubba Pollard, Ernie Francis, Hailie Deegan, etc.
 
NASCAR is more than just the drivers. Although NASCAR is squashing it, the series was seriously impacted by the talents of crew chiefs, mechanics, pit crews and engineers. The more NASCAR takes away the ability for teams to build and modify their own equipment, the farther NASCAR gets from its roots. Although there are additional reasons for the empty grandstand seats and lowered car counts, NASCAR morphing into IROC has not been particularly popular.

If NASCAR became a complete IROC clone, might as well shutter it. IROC was a serious venture to prove driver talent alone (among more series than just NASCAR) but it never jelled and it eventually closed. Not sure why NASCAR or anybody else would want NASCAR to limit itself into oblivion.
 
If I was bringing back IROC, I’d rather see it be a blend of NASCAR and Indycar the way it was before. Races at Long Beach (yes, a street course NASCAR doesn’t race on), Gateway, Indianapolis, Iowa, Texas, and Charlotte Roval.

I think SRX has a good model. I’d like to add to it, but not with more cup series stars. Instead, I would like to create a separate class that runs at the same events with SRX - the Short Track Race of Champions. Have the current SRX class, then add 12 cars to the STROC class which will race on the same night in a separate group. Keep the show within the 2 hour tv window. In hour 1, run 2 heat races for the SRX group, and 2 heat races for the STROC group. Then in hour 2, run the SRX feature and the STROC feature. The new Thursday Night Thunder for SRX would work nicely with this series since most of these racers are committed to weekend races in their series of choice. Here are the drivers I would want for the STROC:

Carson Kvapil
Burt Myers
Stephen Nasse
Jonathan Davenport
Brad Sweet
Ty Majeski
Justin Grant
Matt Shepherd
Kody Swanson
Doug Coby
Derek Thorn
Bubba Pollard

And for the tracks, I’d like to see this lineup:

Five Flags
South Boston
Eldora
IRP
Lucas Oil Speedway
Kern County

This will never happen and would take a massive investor to fund it in addition to the current funding for SRX. I think it would be a good showcase for the short track stars from around the country and maybe open some doors for them.
 
It’s not a bad idea, I feel like they could just run 14 SRX cars in the future though.

The Flo stuff seems mildly popular from the opinions I’ve got about streaming.
 
gone said:
NASCAR is more than just the drivers. Although NASCAR is squashing it, the series was seriously impacted by the talents of crew chiefs, mechanics, pit crews and engineers. The more NASCAR takes away the ability for teams to build and modify their own equipment, the farther NASCAR gets from its roots. Although there are additional reasons for the empty grandstand seats and lowered car counts, NASCAR morphing into IROC has not been particularly popular.

If NASCAR became a complete IROC clone, might as well shutter it. IROC was a serious venture to prove driver talent alone (among more series than just NASCAR) but it never jelled and it eventually closed. Not sure why NASCAR or anybody else would want NASCAR to limit itself into oblivion.
Click to expand...

The hypothetical would be NASCAR running a standalone series and doing companion races. It might be a way for young drivers to test themselves against the vets without equipment being a concern. I want to see raw driving talent on display and how 15 drivers would do in equal equipment with equal setups.

I wouldn't want the Cup Series to be solely about driver talent but I wouldn't mind a venue where we can see it showcased.
 
1 - NASCAR Cup Champion
2 - NASCAR Cup Championship 4 driver
3 - NASCAR Cup Championship 4 driver
4 - NASCAR Cup Championship 4 driver
5 - IndyCar Series Champion
6 - IndyCar Series 2nd Place
7 - NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion
8 - NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion
9 - ARCA Racing Series Champion
10 - World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion
11 - Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Champion
12 - NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion
13 - NASCAR Mexico Series Champion
14 - NASCAR Pinty’s Series Champion
15 - CARS Tour Late Model Champion
16 - IMSA WeatherTech Champions (shared car)

1 - Daytona International Speedway (oval)
2 - North Wilkesboro Speedway
3 - Sonoma Raceway
4 - Michigan International Speedway
5 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval)
6 - Darlington Raceway

Time/Days - Thursday afternoon/evenings of that weekends Cup Series race, unless all drivers are able to run on Friday or Saturday. Bring back the hauler parade and/or Friday 1 hour practice for those NASCAR weekends with IROC!
 
So for 2023 (I need to redo the numbering and prestige of what champions mean the most like Supercross/Motocross):
——————————
1 - Joey Logano
2 - Ross Chastain
3 - Christopher Bell
4 - Chase Elliott
5 - Will Power
6 - Josef Newgarden
7 - Ty Gibbs
8 - Zane Smith
9 - Nick Sanchez
10 - Brad Sweet
11 - Tim McCreadie
12 - Jon McKennedy
13 - Ruben Garcia, Jr.
14 - Marc-Antoine Camirand
15 - Carson Kvapil
16a - Tom Blomqvist / Oliver Jarvis (DPI - 1 race each)
16b - Jon Bennett / Colin Braun (LMP3 - 1 race each)
16c - Roman De Angelis (GTD - 2 races)

Pretty stout field TBH.
 
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