1986 IROC Series

Race #1

The IROC Series made their 1st stop of 1986 at the Daytona International Speedway, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

NASCAR star Harry Gant led the field to the Green Flag but it was FISA star Klaus Ludwig who would lead the first last as the fans in attendance were given a great show by all the drivers in the field as battles for the lead and position happened every lap during the first ten laps before Al Unser took the lead and began to dominate the day. Despite two cautions flying during the race, no one retired from the race, but several were damaged and limped around the track at half speed. Unser would lead until with nine to go before the battle for the lead was on, swapping five times in the last ten laps as FISA star Jochen Mass made the right move, taking the lead on the last lap and hung on for his first career IROC Series win.

Other Noticeables:
Jochen Mass scored his 1st win of the year,
Mass led 2 times for 2 laps, including the final lap,
It was the 1st win of his career in the IROC Series in his 4th career start,
Hurley Haywood(3rd), Hans-Joachim Stuck(4th), Al Unser Jr.(7th), Klaus Ludwig(9th) and Bill Elliott(10th) made their IROC Series debuts,
Al Unser, who finished 2nd, is the points leader, leading Jochen Mass by 1 point

1.3-Jochen Mass (2 laps led)
2.18-Al Unser (24 laps led)
3.10-Hurley Haywood (1 lap led)
4.8-Hans-Joachim Stuck
5.5-Bobby Rahal (4 laps led)
6.19-Darrell Waltrip (4 laps led)
7.6-Al Unser Jr. (1 lap led)
8.2-Cale Yarborough
9.22-Klaus Ludwig-1 lap (2 laps led)
10.17-Bill Elliott-1 lap (2 laps led)
11.7-Harry Gant-1 lap
12.1-Rick Mears-1 lap

Harry Gant-Pole
Klaus Ludwig-1
Bill Elliott-2-3
Hurley Haywood-4
Al Unser Jr.-5
Klaus Ludwig-6
Al Unser-7-30
Bobby Rahal-31-33
Jochen Mass-34
Darrell Waltrip-35-38
Bobby Rahal-39
Jochen Mass-40

10 Lead Changes among 8 drivers

Caution Flags: 2 for 8 laps
Lap 7 (Cars #6, 5, 7, 2 and 10 Accident Turn 4),
Lap 13 (Cars #8, 22, 2, 1, 17, 6 and 7 Accident Frontstretch)

Margin of Victory: 0.142 Seconds

Time of Race: 50 Minutes and 38 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.

1.22-Rick Mears
2.6-Harry Gant
3.7-Bill Elliott
4.18-Klaus Ludwig
5.12-Cale Yarborough
6.10-Al Unser Jr.
7.1-Darrell Waltrip
8.8-Bobby Rahal
9.17-Hans-Joachim Stuck
10.5-Hurley Haywood
11.2-Al Unser
12.20-Jochen Mass

Race #2

The IROC Series made their 2nd stop of 1986 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio.

For the second time in series history, drivers raced at the 2.400 mile road course, Rick Mears would lead the field to the Green Flag, but it would be NASCAR star Harry Gant, who would get a run going into Turn 1, who lead the first lap while moving up from his 6th starting spot was Al Unser Jr. as he would quickly pass everyone in his way, before passing Gant for the lead on Lap 3. Once in the lead, Unser was never challenged, pulling away as he would score his first IROC Series win.

Other Noticeables:
Al Unser Jr. scored his 1st win of the year,
Unser Jr. led 1 time for 27 laps, which were the final 27 laps,
It was the 1st win of his career in the IROC Series in his 2nd start,
Al Unser Jr., who finished 1st, is the new points leader, leading Al Unser by 6 points

1.10-Al Unser Jr. (27 laps led)
2.6-Harry Gant (2 laps led)
3.7-Bill Elliott
4.22-Rick Mears
5.18-Klaus Ludwig
6.8-Bobby Rahal
7.5-Hurley Haywood
8.1-Darrell Waltrip
9.2-Al Unser
10.12-Cale Yarborough
11.17-Hans-Joachim Stuck
12.20-Jochen Mass-1 lap

Rick Mears-Pole
Harry Gant-1-2
Al Unser Jr.-3-29

1 Lead Change among 2 drivers

Caution Flags: 0 for 0 laps

Margin of Victory: 55.680 Seconds

Time of Race: 53 Minutes and 17 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 race of the season at the Alabama International Motor Speedway.

1.8-Cale Yarborough
2.7-Rick Mears
3.6-Hans-Joachim Stuck
4.5-Klaus Ludwig
5.20-Darrell Waltrip
6.18-Bill Elliott
7.17-Bobby Rahal
8.12-Hurley Haywood
9.2-Harry Gant
10.22-Jochen Mass
11.10-Al Unser
12.1-Al Unser Jr.