The revival of the International Race of Champions series caught the motorsport community’s undivided attention earlier this week. With the iconic crew chief Ray Evernham and team owner Rob Kauffman making their intentions clear about the series’ future after a long 18-year hiatus, it’s only a matter of time before we see some of our favorite NASCAR drivers go toe to toe with champions from various Motorsport categories.

Evernham and Kauffman’s promise of a modern take with a hint of nostalgia could witness modern champions such as Ryan Blaney and Max Verstappen compete for glory if things go as planned. But did you know how it all started back in 1974? Before we enter the 2024 season, let’s take a look at the formation of the IRoC and how it kick-started a 33-year-long campaign of utter excitement on both the drivers and fans’ ends.

The Inaugural International Race of Champions at Riverside was a rollercoaster unlike any other

On October 27, 1973, Riverside was brimming with a humongous audience at the sight of twelve of the world’s best drivers at the time going at it in equal machinery. From Formula 1 star Emerson Fittipaldi to NASCAR legend Bobby Allison, the grid was littered with champions from various categories, including the famous USAC driver Bobby Unser. While the legendary Jackie Stewart was also set to participate in the inaugural Race of Champions, his retirement at the end of the 1973 season meant AJ Foyt would take his place in a last-minute swap.

Pole-sitter Emerson Fittipaldi would face heartbreak before the lights turned green as he was sent to the back of the grid for appearing five minutes late to the driver’s briefing. And he was not the only one. George Follmer’s race was also practically over before it began. This outcome enraged Fittipaldi to the point where he had to stress the fact that the event was an ‘international race’ and ‘not just for the Americans’. And while Fittipaldi would battle it out with the grid to finish 7th, the ultimate winner would have a dominant session throughout.

Mark Donohue and his white Porsche 911 RSR were well in the lead, with Peter Revson trying to hunt down the man nicknamed ‘Captain Nice’. Fortunately for Donohue, victory would be ever so sweet at the first race of the International Race of Champions, as it would also be one of his last before tragically passing away in 1975. While the result may not have been what Emerson Fittipaldi was expecting, the iRoC was such a success that it would continue on a journey of entertaining fans from all categories of motorsport for over three decades.

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Now that we’ve taken a look at how the IRoC got its beginnings, the plans laid down by Ray Evernham for his new series seem quite evident.

The return of the Race of Champions to pay tribute to its humble beginnings

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Back in the early 1970s, the iRoC quickly switched from the inaugural 911 RSR to iconic American muscle cars such as the Pontiac Firebird TransAm, Dodge Daytona, and Chevrolet Camaro. With the cars dotting the tarmac like M&M’s, the early races at Riverside were truly a sight to behold. And for 2024, that’s precisely the plan set in motion by Evernham for his new series. While he had started a similar category called the SRX series only a few years prior, the iRoC’s return is one anticipated by many.

Evernham shared on SiriusXM’s NASCAR radio, “The plan right now is to put on a vintage-type race event/reunion here before the end of the year. We are really really early in the planning stages, but just to get that IROC brand out, get people a little to know about what it is, put on some demonstrations, and try and get some of these IROC cars out of the garages and back on the race track.”

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Not only will the International Race of Champions feature several prominent stars, but it will also embrace the core identity of the brand created by Roger Penske and Co. all those years ago. The plan for right now remains to secure a successful event in the 2024 calendar and ponder on future projects. With the iRoC seemingly back for good, who would you like to see make up the grid?