1985 IROC Series

Race #1

The IROC Series made their 1st stop of 1985 at the Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

FISA star John Watson led the field to the Green Flag but it was NASCAR star Terry Labonte who would lead the first lap as the crowd was given a great show as drivers swapped the lead nearly every single lap as Cale Yarborough would be the most dominate driver, leading 18 of the 40 laps, but with four laps to go Mario Andretti would take the lead and was on defense for the remaining laps as he would hold on to score his third career IROC Series win.

Other Noticeables:
Mario Andretti scored his 1st win of the year,
Andretti led 6 times for 12 laps, including the final 5 laps,
It was the 3rd win of his career in the IROC Series and his first since 1980 at Riverside; 7 races ago,
Bobby Rahal(2nd), Terry Labonte(7th), Tom Gloy(8th), Harry Gant(10th) and Jochen Mass(12th) made their IROC Series debuts,
Mario Andretti, who finished 1st, is the points leader, leading Bobby Rahal and Cale Yarborough by 7 points

1.9-Mario Andretti (12 laps led)
2.12-Bobby Rahal (1 lap led)
3.5-Darrell Waltrip (1 lap led)
4.3-Cale Yarborough (18 laps led)
5.2-John Watson (6 laps led)
6.4-A.J. Foyt
7.6-Terry Labonte (2 laps led)
8.11-Tom Gloy-1 lap
9.1-Tom Sneva-1 lap
10.7-Harry Gant-1 lap
11.8-Derek Bell-1 lap
12.17-Jochen Mass-4 laps

John Watson-Pole
Terry Labonte-1
Cale Yarborough-2-7
Mario Andretti-8
Cale Yarborough-9-10
Mario Andretti-11
Cale Yarborough-12-13
Mario Andretti-14
Cale Yarborough-15-17
John Watson-18
Cale Yarborough-19-20
John Watson-21-22
Cale Yarborough-23
Mario Andretti-24
Cale Yarborough-25-26
Mario Andretti-27-29
John Watson-30
Darrell Waltrip-31
Bobby Rahal-32
Terry Labonte-33
John Watson-34-35
Mario Andretti-36-40

20 Lead Changes among 6 drivers

Caution Flags: 1 for 4 laps
Lap 2 (Cars #5, 11, 1, 8, 7 and 17 Accident Frontstretch)

Margin of Victory: 0.282 Seconds

Time of Race: 44 Minutes and 40 Seconds

To keep things fair with actual IROC rules, the starting lineup for the second race will be the finishing order of the 1st race but inverted.

Here is how the field will line up for the second race of the season at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

1.8-Jochen Mass
2.2-Derek Bell
3.1-Harry Gant
4.11-Tom Sneva
5.18-Tom Gloy
6.5-Terry Labonte
7.10-A.J. Foyt
8.7-John Watson
9.6-Darrell Waltrip
10.12-Cale Yarborough
11.17-Bobby Rahal
12.3-Mario Andretti

Race #2

The IROC Series made their 2nd stop of 1985 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio.

For the first time in IROC Series history, drivers raced at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Jochen Mass would lead the field to the Green Flag, but it would be fellow FISA star Derek Bell who would make a move coming off the first turn and would go on to lead the first lap. Bell was able to maintain his lead through the first four laps, but moving up through the field quickly as Bobby Rahal, who was making only his second career start, as it took him only four laps to go from starting 11th to the lead. Once in the lead, Rahal set a fast past as Bell tried everything he could to take the lead back, but it was Rahal who would hang on to score his first IROC Series win.

Other Noticeables:
Bobby Rahal scored his 1st win of the year,
Rahal led 1 time for 25 laps, which were the final 25 laps,
It was the 1st win of his career in the IROC Series in his 2nd start,
Bobby Rahal, who finished 1st, is the new points leader, leading Mario Andretti by 11 points

1.17-Bobby Rahal (25 laps led)
2.2-Derek Bell (4 laps led)
3.5-Terry Labonte
4.8-Jochen Mass
5.11-Tom Sneva
6.7-John Watson
7.3-Mario Andretti
8.6-Darrell Waltrip-1 lap
9.1-Harry Gant-1 lap
10.12-Cale Yarborough-1 lap
11.18-Tom Gloy-1 lap
12.10-A.J. Foyt-1 lap

Jochen Mass-Pole
Derek Bell-1-4
Bobby Rahal-5-29

1 Lead Change among 2 drivers

Caution Flags: 0 for 0 laps

Margin of Victory: 2.439 Seconds

Time of Race: 52 Minutes and 43 Seconds

To keep things fair with actual IROC rules, the starting lineup for the third race will be the point standings but inverted.

Here is how the field will line up for the third and final race of the season at the Michigan International Speedway.

1.3-Tom Gloy
2.18-Harry Gant
3.7-A.J. Foyt
4.17-Jochen Mass
5.6-Tom Sneva
6.8-John Watson
7.2-Darrell Waltrip
8.12-Cale Yarborough
9.5-Terry Labonte
10.11-Derek Bell
11.1-Bobby Rahal