Contact: Michael Knight, 602/661-5240. 
Feb. 10-15 at Daytona Beach Marriott, 
904/254-8200, or cellular telephone, 602
/510-3900.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                   
February 13, 1995


        TRUE VALUE DODGE IROC OPENS 
FRIDAY AT DAYTONA


     DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Five 
previous titlists and three newcomers 
highlight the field for the 19th True 
Value Hardware Stores presents the Dodge
International Race of Champions Friday (
Feb. 15, 1:30 p.m.) at Daytona 
International Speedway.

     NASCAR's Mark Martin is the 
defending champion of the series, which 
matches 12 of the world's top drivers, 
from different types of motorsports, in 
equally prepared Dodge Avengers equipped
with Goodyear Eagle radial tires. Total 
prize money for the four-event 
competition, televised by ABC Sports, is
$760,000. The champion driver, based on 
point standings, earns $225,000 (a 
$25,000 increase) plus a new Dodge 
Avenger passenger car.

     Martin won at Darlington last year 
and added second and fourth-place 
finishes to gain the crown by 10 points 
over Al Unser Jr., Rusty Wallace and 
Dale Earnhardt, all of whom had 
identical point totals.

     "Winning the IROC championship was 
great," said Martin, who went on to take
second in the NASCAR Winston Cup stock 
car rankings. "I really wanted the 
championship, and tried to drive smart 
in the last race to make sure I had 
enough points. I'm ready to go again!"

     In addition to being the current 
Indianapolis 500 and PPG Indy Car World 
Series title-holder, Unser Jr. is the 
most successful driver in IROC history. 
He grabbed the championship in 1986 and 
1988, joining A.J. Foyt as the only two-
time series kings. His eight wins are 
three more than anyone else as Al makes 
his 10th consecutive IROC appearance.

     Wallace was the IROC titlist in 
1991 by winning an unprecedented three 
consecutive races. Earnhardt gained the 
crown in 1990 and is the defending 
winner of the 100-mile, 40-lap IROC show
on Daytona's 2.5-mile superspeedway. 
Ricky Rudd returns for his third IROC 
competition and was champ in 1992.

     First-time IROC contestants include
NASCAR's Ken Schrader, fourth in 1994 
Winston Cup points; Jeff Gordon, winner 
of the inaugural Brickyard 400; and 
Steve Millen, last season's IMSA GTS 
sports car champion.

     "I've helped test the IROC cars in 
the past, but never have had the chance 
to race them," said Schrader. "Man, I'm 
really looking forward to it."

     At 23 years, 5 months, Gordon 
becomes the youngest participant in IROC
annals, besting Unser Jr.'s mark from 
1986 of 23 years, 10 months. Millen will
celebrate his 42d birthday on race day.

     Also in the elite group are road 
racers Scott Pruett, the 1994 SCCA Trans
-Am titlist; Tom Kendall, third in Trans
-Am points; and Hurley Haywood, who 
picked up his third career 24 Hours of 
LeMans triumph last year; plus 14-time 
World of Outlaws sprint car champ Steve 
Kinser. Pruett was the surprise Daytona 
IROC victor in 1991. It was Kinser who 
scored the biggest upset in IROC history
last April when he won at Talladega as 
the first representative of short-track 
action ever to receive an IROC 
invitation.

     Starting positions at Daytona will 
be determined by draw.

     ABC will televise the Daytona round
Sunday, March 12, at 5 p.m. (Eastern 
time).

     Following Daytona, IROC will 
continue March 25 at Darlington Raceway,
in Darlington, S.C.; April 29 at 
Talladega Superspeedway, in Talladega, 
Ala.; and July 29 at Michigan 
International Speedway, in Brooklyn, 
Mich.

     IROC is sponsored by True Value 
Hardware Stores, Dodge division of 
Chrysler Corp., Mopar, Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Co., and Robert Bosch Corp.


                            ###


     MEDIA NOTE:  The annual IROC press 
conference and luncheon, hosted by 
Dodge, will be Wednesday, Feb. 15, 11:30
a.m., at the Indigo Inn. Please contact 
Michael Knight for more information.
