Vehicle Description
Gateway Classic Cars of San Antonio/Austin is proud to offer a
piece of history with this 1996 IROC series Trans Am race car
(Chassis# 8). 1996 marked the return of GM sponsorship, now
utilizing its other F-body pony car, the Pontiac Firebird. The
Firebird racecars were redesigned from beak to tail, with only the
braking components carrying over from the previous platform. The
new cars were fitted with a 350-cid GM Motorsports racing engine
with CNC-machined Brodix-cast aluminum Pontiac heads, a new tube
frame chassis built by Laughlin Racing Products-designed for use
with non-bias ply tires, titanium intake and stainless steel
headers/exhaust, a 750-cfm Holley 4barrel carburetor, suspension
with independent unequal-length control arms, coil springs,
anti-sway bar and rigid axle, Jericho 4-speed manual transmission
with Dana aluminum quick-change rear end with 3.16:1 axle ratio,
New Goodyear Eagle racing radials, and a curb weight of 3500-lbs.
At the 1999 Michigan International Speedway race, the Earnhardt's
would place first and second, in the closest margin of victory in
the entire history of the IROC series with just 0.007 seconds
separating the two. This is the same car that Dale Sr. won
Talladega behind the wheel of in 1999, solidifying his third IROC
series championship. Other notable achievements of this special car
include Mark Martin's win at the first night race in IROC history
at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1997, which contributed to his
third IROC championship that same year. Other drivers from
1996-2000 include Jeff Gordon, Scott Pruett, Dale Jarrett, Tony
Stewart, Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte, and Alex Zanardi. The
International Race of Champions series was beloved by NASCAR and
international fans alike, as drivers from several different
disciplines could be seen competing on a level playing field.
