General
Introducing the impressive IROC field for Washington D.C. race
From NASCAR champions to Indy 500 legends, IROC will take over the streets of Washington D.C. on Saturday
Nick DeGroot
Edited: Aug 22, 2026, 3:46 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports
Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images
As part of the Freedom 250 Grand Prix weekend with IndyCar, the revived IROC Series (International Race of Champions) will be on track as well, taking on the 1.7-mile street course with the U.S. Capitol Building serving as a backdrop.
There are two 20-minute races planned for Saturday, with Race #1 at 3pm EST and Race #2 immediately following 4pm EST.
The field of eight drivers is star-studded, featuring legendary names from the motorsports world. Here's a look at the full field:
Jeff Gordon -- 4x NASCAR Cup Series champion and 3x Daytona 500 winner
Currently working as the right-hand to Rick Hendrick as the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon's NASCAR career spanned 25 years with 805 Cup starts and 93 wins (third on all-time wins list), including three in the Daytona 500 and at least three victories in each of the four crown jewel events on the schedule. Gordon won the Cup Series title in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001. Beyond NASCAR, Gordon earned an overall win in the 2017 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and was a USAC Silver Crown and USAC National Midget Series champion earlier in his career.
Helio Castroneves -- 4x Indianapolis 500 winner and 3x Rolex 24 winner
Castroneves started nearly 400 races between IndyCar and CART, winning 31 races. He is tied for the most Indy 500 wins all-time, winning the prestigious race in 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021. He also secured the overall win in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in three consecutive years, and even became an IMSA champion in 2020. His sports car racing triumphs don't end there, with back-to-back wins in Peit Le Mans and several other IMSA victories as well. Just before his 50th birthday, he made his Daytona 500 debut in 2025.
Kurt Busch -- NASCAR Cup Series champion and Daytona 500 winner
The elder brother of Kyle, Kurt Busch started 776 NASCAR Cup races, winning 34 races in his career. He became a NASCAR Cup Series champion in 2004, and won the Daytona 500 in 2017. Busch also attempted the Indy-Charlotte Double in 2014, earning a sixth-place finish in his Indy 500 debut. Additionally, Busch is a true IROC champion, earning the crown in 2003.
Tony Kanaan -- IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner
Now serving the team principal for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, TK ran nearly 400 races between IndyCar and CART in a career spanning over two decades. He won 17 races between the two series, including the 2013 Indianapolis 500. He also won the 2004 IndyCar title, and beyond the open-wheel world, snagged an overall win the 2015 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
Bill Elliott -- NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2x Daytona 500 winner
Elliott holds the record for the fastest qualifying lap in NASCAR history, lapping Talladega Superspeedway at 212.809mph in 1987. He started 828 Cup races in his career, earning 44 wins that included victories in the 1985 and 1987 Daytona 500. He won the Southern 500 three times in his career, as well as the Brickyard 400 in 2002. Elliott's time at the top level of the sport spanned 38 years.
Bobby Labonte -- NASCAR Cup Series champion
Labonte started 729 Cup races in his career, earning 21 career wins and the 2000 Cup title over Dale Earnhardt. He earned victories in the Southern 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Brickyard 400. Notably, he is the oldest driver to ever win a Superstar Racing Experience event at the age of 58. Labonte also won a NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series title (then known as the Busch Series) in 1991. Like Kurt Busch, he is even a former IROC champion, earning the crown in 2001.
Tommy Kendall -- IMSA champion and 4x Trans-Am champion
Stepping in for IndyCar legend Dario Franchitti after he had to pull out of the event, Kendall had quite an interesting career as well. He was an IMSA GTS champion in 1993, but most of his success came in the Trans-Am Series, where he earned the title in 1990, 1995, 1996, and 1997.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Christian Horner to headline 2026 ABX NYC
Next article Jeff Gordon sweeps both IROC races in Washington D.C.
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Nick DeGroot
Jesse Love barely holds off Sam Mayer for NASCAR O'Reilly win at Phoenix
NASCAR O'Reilly
NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
6 h
Jesse Love barely holds off Sam Mayer for NASCAR O'Reilly win at Phoenix
NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Blaney earns pole as Larson struggles
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
10 h
NASCAR Cup Phoenix starting lineup: Blaney earns pole as Larson struggles
9/11 after 25 years: How NASCAR went back racing following September 11 attacks
Feature
NASCAR Cup
Feature
NASCAR Cup
9/11 after 25 years: How NASCAR went back racing following September 11 attacks
Latest news
The closest finish in MotoGP history: Toni Elias over Valentino Rossi 20 years ago
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Portuguese GP
6 min
The closest finish in MotoGP history: Toni Elias over Valentino Rossi 20 years ago
When will Mercedes become F1 world champions in 2026?
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
40 min
When will Mercedes become F1 world champions in 2026?
Jesse Love barely holds off Sam Mayer for NASCAR O'Reilly win at Phoenix
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
6 h
Jesse Love barely holds off Sam Mayer for NASCAR O'Reilly win at Phoenix
Lando Norris faces anxious wait as F2 prepares to decide future of his racing team
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
9 h
Lando Norris faces anxious wait as F2 prepares to decide future of his racing team
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 Can-Am drivers
General
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 Can-Am drivers
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe