1974 Chevrolet Camaro IROC
VIN: 1Q87H4N221886
Penske #: PR886
Driven by Buddy Baker to 1st place at 1st round of IROC IV
season
Driven by Buddy Baker, Al Holbert, and Gordon Johncock during IROC
IV season
Campaigned by Oftedahl Racing in SCCA Nationals, SCCA Trans-Am,
IMSA GTO from 1977-1980
Eligible for special 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion IROC
class with racing champions
Restored and race prepped by Ray Evernham Enterprises, eligible for
many historic racing events
PME 350 CI V8 engine, Borgwarner T-10 4-speed manual
transmission
Herra Enterprise 4.11 Ford 9" rear end, Penske shocks, Wilwood
brakes
IROC's Resurgence
Through a partnership of Ray Evernham and Rob Kauffman, the IROC
trademark was revived to bring one of the most exciting series back
to the forefront. With many of the former IROC race cars
race-prepped by Ray Evernham Enterprises, these cars spanning from
1973 to 2006 are ready to be back on a track and used in the way
they were designed to be. The 2026 Rolex Monterey Motorsports
Reunion IROC racing class represents a rare opportunity to race
alongside racing legends and those who raced the same cars in the
original IROC series. These include Danny Sullivan, Mark Martin,
Bill Elliott, Ken Schrader, Bobby Labonte, Dario Franchitti, Tomi
Drissi, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, and Scott Pruett, along with
racers Zak Brown, Bruce Canepa, and others.
With Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion signing on for 3 years of
IROC racing classes just to start, the IROC racing series is seeing
a resurgence unlike anything else, with a driver's opportunity to
racing among other racing legends and celebrities.
1974 Chevrolet Camaro IROC
The International Race of Champions (IROC), an American racing
series promoted as the equivalent of an all-star game, was a unique
and prestigious motorsport competition that ran for several
decades, from 1974 to 2006. The goal was to bring together the best
drivers from various driving series to compete in
identically-prepared cars at some of the world's most legendary
tracks. With names racing such as Can-Am and Trans-Am champion Mark
Donohue, F1 champion James Hunt, NASCAR legend and champion Dale
Earnhardt, Indycar champion A.J.Foyt, Trans-Am, Can-Am champion
George Follmer, and more legendary drivers were invited to join the
racing championship to prove who was the best of the best.
The IROC series was founded in 1973 by Roger Penske, Les Richter,
and Mike Phelps, wanting to create a championship that featured top
drivers from a variety of racing categories and disciplines, such
as Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and sports car racing. The goal? To
create a series to determine the "champion of champions" by placing
competitors in identically-prepared cars to level the field across
the board. No secret additions, no extra power, no trick tuning,
just pure raw driving ability. Still remembered as a unique and
prestigious series that brought together some of the greatest
drivers in motorsport, IROC created the concept of identifying the
"champion of champions" and cemented it as a memorable era of
racing history.
While the IROC concept seemed simple enough in theory, the
implementation was slightly more difficult, especially when
bringing together 12 top drivers and preparing 12 identical cars
(with 3 additional spare cars) with equal performance in all
aspects. Debuting in 1973 with Roger Penske, the series organizer,
and the late Mark Donohue, the project supervisor and development
driver, found their first cars with the help of their German
counterparts. Porsche Carrera RSRs were the first cars used in the
series and the first season was met with popular reception.
However, there was a snag: the Porsches proved to be too expensive
to build and maintain, and a suitable replacement was needed.
Penske, with his ties to Chevrolet, found the next logical choice
in the form of the 1974 Chevrolet Camaro. Fast and inexpensive to
acquire and modify, the Camaro would end up being the platform of
choice for the next 15 years, beginning in IROC's second
season.
This Bright Yellow #2 1974 Chevrolet Camaro Gen 2 was built for the
1976-1977 IROC season, and celebrates Buddy Baker's dominant IROC
IV Round 1 September 1976 win at Michigan International Speedway,
and was one of Baker's defining moments in the series where he
showcased his acumen on high-speed ovals. Gordon Johncock took the
helm at Round 2 on October 16th at Riverside International Raceway,
finishing 10th. Al Holbert, the future IMSA GT and 24 Hours of Le
Mans champion, raced the Camaro on October 17th at Riverside for
Round 3, and at Daytona International Speedway for Round 4 on
February 18th, 1977, taking 6th and 7th, respectively.
After the Camaro's IROC service had completed, it found its way
into private hands and raced by Oftedahl Racing in multiple series,
including SCCA Nationals, SCCA Trans-Am, and IMSA GTO. An
impressive roster of drivers piloted the car during this time,
including Bob Raub, Michael Oleyar, Paul Brand, Bob Lazier, Carl
Schaefer, and Dick Kantrud.
5/30/77 - Wrangler Northwest Challenge - Bob Lazier - 16th
6/5/77 - Bus Stop / KCLG Trans Am - Bob Lazier - 8th
6/12/77 - G.I. Joe's Rose Cup - Bob Lazier - 13th
6/26/77 - First National City Travelers Checks Trans Am - Bob
Lazier - 27th (suspension)
8/13/78 - Pepsi/7-Up Trans Am - Dick Kantrud - 23rd
9/4/78 - SCCA Trans Am race - Dick Kantrud - 13th
3/22/80 - 12 Hours of Sebring - Bob Lazier, Robert Young - 47th
(DNF)
4/27/80 - Los Angeles Times Toyota Grand Prix - Bob Raub, Michael
Oleyar - 48th (engine issue)
5/4/80 - IMSA GT race - Bob Raub - 21st (DNF)
8/8/82 - SCCA Trans Am race - Art Pasmas - 14th
The car was restored by Ray Evernham Enterprises and is in
restored, race-ready condition. It is equipped with a PME 350 C.I.D
V8 engine, Borgworner T-10 4-speed manual transmission, Herra
Enterprise 4.11 Ford 9" rear end, Penske shocks, Wilwood brakes,
and Original Minilight wheels. It is eligible at the Rolex Monterey
Motorsport Reunion and other historic racing events.
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