Historic International Race of Champions (IROC) machinery will return to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, with drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar and sports car racing due to compete. The event, which will take place from August 12-15, marks the second consecutive appearance for the revived IROC programme at the Californian circuit.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson heads the initial driver list. He will be joined by fellow NASCAR champions Kurt Busch and Bobby Labonte, four-time IndyCar champion and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, 1985 CART champion Danny Sullivan and five-time Daytona 24 Hours winner Scott Pruett. Trans Am champion Tomy Drissi will return to defend the Unser Family Cup class victory he secured at the 2025 event. McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown and Big Machine Label Group founder Scott Borchetta have also been confirmed, with further drivers and guests due to be announced.
IROC was established in 1973 to bring leading competitors from different branches of international motor sport together in identically prepared cars. Drivers from Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar and sports-car racing competed in the series during its original run. The format was intended to reduce the influence of machinery and place greater emphasis on the drivers. Although the cars used by IROC changed over time, each field competed in nominally equal vehicles prepared by the organisers.
IROC made its first appearance at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion in 2025. The Unser Family Cup brought together cars from seven periods of the championship’s history alongside a field of former professional drivers and current competitors. Drissi won the overall class contest on August 16, 2025, driving a 2006 Pontiac Firebird previously built for the final period of the original IROC series.
Ray Evernham, co-principal of the revived IROC organisation, said the reaction to the Monterey appearance had encouraged its return for 2026. “The response to the return of IROC has been incredible,” he said. “Events like Monterey remind people what made the series so special in the first place.”
The wider Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be held under the theme Salute to Japanese Motorsports: A Tradition of Precision & Heritage. Its race programme will include Japanese competition cars alongside other Historic categories. The full IROC entry list, competition format and allocation of cars have yet to be announced.
More details on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2026 are available here.
