Tuesday night’s Race of Champions was one for the ages. 26 drivers lined up at a cold and overcast Pocono International Raceway to run the flagship race of the YesterYear Racing™ League. It was an “open” race event just like it was in 1977 which meant a handful of the drivers in the field were not regular members of the League. One of those drivers included Jeff Maconi, owner of Maconi Set-Up Shop LLC, who seemed to have the fastest car most of the night until he ran into trouble late in the race. Maconi led the most laps of the race but was involved in a multicar incident with Allen Wannamaker and Steve Hilbert with about 9 laps remaining that took them all out of contention. Maconi wasn’t the only driver that ran into issues though. Points leader Tom Ogle was involved in a nasty crash that took him out of the race with less than 30 laps remaining. “It was disappointing as this was the second consecutive race where I was involved in an incident that wasn’t my fault.” You just have to wipe it from your mind and move on. It was a ton-of-fun though,” Ogle said after the race.
The race was based on the 1977 Al Gerber Race of Champions that was run on October 10, 1977. Between 1977-1979 the Race of Champions was held on the full 2.5-mile “Tricky Triangle.” In 1980 the race was moved to a custom 0.75-mile make-shift oval at Pocono International Raceway due to the speeds of the modified stock cars. “Back in 1977 there was no Hans Device, nor all the modern-day safety equipment drivers have today. Essentially, they raced with a lap belt, a helmet, and a fire-proof suit. Very Old School. The promoters of the race saw what was happening in Formula One at the time where deaths happened monthly, so they slowed the cars down by not racing on the full 2.5-mile Triangle after 1979. It was a shame because in my opinion those three races were the greatest stock car race events held that no one either knows about or remembers,” Wannamaker said.
In the end it was Brian Bianchi that took the victory, the points lead in the standings, and punched his ticket into the 4-race 2025 YesterYear IROC Series that kicks off in February. “It was a long and tough race. Not one I would want to do more than once per year, but it was fun. I was gripping my wheel for almost all the 149-minute event,” Bianchi said in post-race comments.
The exclusive YesterYear Racing™ IROC Series will run identical Cadillac CTS-V cars at Daytona in February, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June, Atlanta 2008 in August, and Milwaukee in October providing drivers a chance to show their skill on a Super Speedway, a Road Course, a 1.5-Mile oval, and a short track. Wannamaker added, “The only way to qualify for the YesterYear IROC Series is a driver must win a 2024 series in either the Bootleg Racing League, the Old Bastards Racing League, the Red Light Racing League, or the VLS iRacing League. These are all leagues I respect and that send drivers to YesterYear Racing™ to compete. In addition, the Series champion of YesterYear will be invited, as well as the winner of the Race of Champions, which was Brian, and the winner of the 9th Annual Bootleg Racing Stone River Shootout that will be held on Saturday, September 21.” When asked if He would participate Wannamaker chuckled and said, “Unless I achieve one of the criteria for entry into the YesterYear IROC Series, I will not drive in it. I have always come from the Ric Flair school of thinking. To be the Man, you have to beat the man. And if you cannot beat the Man, you don’t get in.”
With four races left in the Season, YesterYear will head to North Wilkesboro Speedway Tuesday, September 24 for the “Blue Ridge 100,” and then go to Stafford Motor Speedway for the “Fall Final” on October 1st, before taking a three-week break and then coming back to finish the season at Thompson Speedway on October 22nd, and Martinsville Speedway on October 29th.
The 2024 YesterYear Race of Champions race replay can be found here:
