IROC VII

IROC VII was the seventh year of IROC competition, which took place in 1979 and 1980. The format carried over from IROC VI in that three qualifying races were held for participants from NASCAR, CART, and Road Racing (which primarily consisted of Formula One, SCCA, and IMSA). The top four finishers in these qualifying races then earned the chance to race in the two final races at Riverside International Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. It used the Chevrolet Camaro in all races, and this was the final year for the series before it went on hiatus until 1984. Bobby Allison won the oval finale en route to the championship and $75,000.

The final points standings were as follows:

NASCAR Qualifying Race, Michigan International Speedway

 * 1) Neil Bonnett
 * 2) Bobby Allison
 * 3) Darrell Waltrip
 * 4) Buddy Baker
 * 5) Cale Yarborough
 * 6) Benny Parsons
 * 7) Dale Earnhardt
 * 8) Donnie Allison

CART Qualifying Race, Michigan International Speedway

 * 1) Gordon Johncock
 * 2) Bobby Unser
 * 3) Rick Mears
 * 4) Johnny Rutherford
 * 5) Wally Dallenbach
 * 6) Mike Mosley
 * 7) Tom Sneva
 * 8) Danny Ongais

Road Racing Qualifying Race, Riverside International Raceway

 * 1) Mario Andretti
 * 2) Peter Gregg
 * 3) Don Whittington
 * 4) Clay Regazzoni
 * 5) Alan Jones
 * 6) John Watson
 * 7) Keke Rosberg
 * 8) Emerson Fittipaldi

Road Racing Final, Riverside International Raceway

 * 1) Darrell Waltrip
 * 2) Bobby Allison
 * 3) Mario Andretti
 * 4) Rick Mears
 * 5) Gordon Johncock
 * 6) Johnny Rutherford
 * 7) Neil Bonnett
 * 8) Buddy Baker
 * 9) Bobby Unser
 * 10) Clay Regazzoni
 * 11) Peter Gregg
 * 12) Don Whittington

Oval Final, Atlanta Motor Speedway
Darrell Waltrip started on the pole position, with Bobby Allison on the outside of the front row. As the field came across the start/finish line to complete lap 2, fourth place Mario Andretti triggered a huge pileup. Andretti clipped the back of Waltrip's car, who then collected Neil Bonnett into the outside wall. Andretti crashed to the inside wall, and a chain reaction wiped out almost the entire field. Leader Allison was ahead of the crash, and Rick Mears somehow escaped cleanly. Eight cars were involved, with seven too damaged to continue. After a 40 minute red flag, the race resumed with five cars left. On lap 41, Don Whittington got loose coming out of turn four and crashed on the mainstretch. It necessitated another red flag for cleanup.

Only three cars were left to race to the finish. Allison took the lead with two laps to go. Mears and Rutherford battled side-by-side for second, as Allison went on to win the race and clinch the title. Johncock was the only other car running, but 8 laps down due to damage sustained in the big crash.

At the end of the race nine of the twelve cars suffered significant damage. With eight of them badly wrecked, and no contract to continue the series, IROC would go on hiatus until 1984.


 * 1) Bobby Allison, 66 laps
 * 2) Rick Mears, 66 laps
 * 3) Johnny Rutherford, 66 laps
 * 4) Gordon Johncock, 58 laps
 * 5) Don Whittington, 41 laps (crash)
 * 6) Darrell Waltrip, 2 laps (crash)
 * 7) Neil Bonnett, 2 laps (crash)
 * 8) Mario Andretti, 2 laps (crash)
 * 9) Buddy Baker, 2 laps (crash)
 * 10) Bobby Unser, 2 laps (crash)
 * 11) Peter Gregg, 2 laps (crash)
 * 12) Clay Regazzoni, 2 laps (crash)