“IROC Time” – NASCAR Nation Take Up the Guessing Game as Controversial Nashville Fairgrounds Is Rumored to Bring Back the Classic

Hours after NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief, Ray Everham and former NASCAR team owner, Rob Kauffman acquired the rights to the IROC (International Race of Champions) brand, the fandom has gone head over heals, deeply speculating about its future. Amidst this massive update that rocked the community, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway’s recent news has also tickled fans’ curiosity as they put the pieces together to cheer, “IROC time.”

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Popular racing enthusiast and Fox journalist, Bob Pockrass broke the news to the community on his social media, relaying that the controversial track is slated to host a feature ahead of the Cup Series race at Nashville Speedway. With fans bombarding the post, it was soon a guessing game as many speculated which fixture was about to take over the track for the event despite the ensuing legal battle.

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway gets a new breath of life as NASCAR nation takes up the guessing game in anticipationADVERTISEMENT

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Now, Nashville Fairground Speedway’s tale is one that would make any ardent fan shed a tear. Despite being the second-oldest track in the country, the fair board executives and fans had different takes on its preservation. A long-lasting debate and multiple legal suits followed after Cumberland Yard and Bristol Motor Speedway officials went back and forth on the historic track’s future.

While Cumberland Yard saw things from a different lens, tearing down the track to an open space, with an amphitheater and a stretch for EV drag racing, enthusiasts and fans couldn’t side with its proposed plan one tiny bit. Consequently, they started a campaign offering stiff resistance and that might have caused this fallout.

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Nashville Fair Board OK’d request from Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway promoter Track Enterprises to allow a race at the Fairgrounds on Thu June 27 prior to Cup weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. TBD on what will be on-track (fyi not SRX). Board had to OK b/c it’s a weekday event

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 9, 2024

As Pockrass updated on his “X,” the half-a-mile Speedway is slated to host an event in June ahead of the Cup weekend at Nashville Speedway, bringing the town back to speed as racing tights its grip on the iconic venue. According to his tweet, the Nashville Fair Board has given the green light to Fairgrounds Speedway promoter Track Enterprises to allow a race at the Fairgrounds on Thursday, June 27.

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The reporter has also confirmed that it won’t be an SRX event while fans took it as a challenge to guess it accurately, starting off a banter in the comments as many noted that this sudden development meant the return of IROC to the Fairgrounds speedway.

“My guess is IROC or CARS Tour” – Netizens sparks a new thread of conversation amidst IROC’s grand re-entry The brainchild of Les Richter, Roger Penske, and Mike Phelps, IROC was a promotion that brought together racing talents into a single frame under equal and similar pieces of equipment on various track layouts, The series was a massive hit among fans until its fallout in 2006. While the promotion slowly dissolved into time, Ray Everham and Rob Kauffman brought rights to its branding, IROC Holdings LLC (IROC Holdings) recently.

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Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham, who worked as an IROC mechanic in his younger days, and former MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman have bought the IROC brand and hope to have an event in 2024 with historic IROC race cars.

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 8, 2024

Following this update making waves its wave in NASCAR nation and the Fairgrounds Speedway news coming in hot, fans anticipated a grand return of the IROC brand. “My guess is IROC or CARS Tour, but I’ve always wanted the Modified Tour to race down there,” said a fan, expressing his desire while another wrote, “IROC is the natural guess.” Soon the comment section resounded with a similar notion, “watch this be the IROC race;” “IROC?”

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