What Makes The Race of Champions Special?

When the Race of Champions 150 takes the green flag on Saturday, October 12 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, it adds another chapter in one of the most remarkable ledgers in motorsports history.

Celebrating its 75th running, the event is billed as the second-longest consecutive auto-racing event in North America, only bettered by the Indianapolis 500. The Race of Champions legacy dates back to 1951, and enters a new era on Saturday with the event's debut at "The Big T."

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The First Race of Champions at Thompson

Thompson Speedway has long been one of the most historic venues for Modified competitors. It has hosted more than 150 events for the modern NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since its inception in 1985. Many of those races have been headline events during Thompson's two marquee weekends—the Icebreaker to start each year and the World Series of Speedway Racing each fall.

This year's Sunoco World Series boasts a new addition, the Race of Champions. While it is not the first time the Race of Champions Modified Series has competed at the 5/8-mile oval in Connecticut, it is the first time the series' namesake race takes part at the legendary track. Thompson joins a list of tracks that also hold a special place in the history of Modified racing as hosts of the Race of Champions.

Race of Champions Venue History

The lineage of the Race of Champions dates back to 1951 at Langhorne Speedway. Hully Bunn is credited with winning the inaugural running of what was then known as the National Open, although Dick Eagan piloted his machine at the race's end after a mid-race driver change. The race was shortened to 83 laps around the 1-mile circular race track after a massive, track-blocking incident 17 laps shy of the scheduled conclusion.

When the event started, Langhorne Speedway was a dirt track. It was paved and slightly reshaped in 1965, and hosted the National Open until the facility closed in 1971.

With Langhorne closing, the National Open moved to Trenton Speedway and became the "Race of Champions" as it is known today. Like Langhorne, the 1.5-mile Trenton Speedway featured a unique, "kidney-bean" shape with a dogleg right on the track's backstretch. Trenton hosted the Race of Champions for five years before finding a new home at Pocono Raceway.

For the first three years, the Modifieds raced on the 2.5-mile "Tricky Triangle" still used by the NASCAR Cup Series today. In 1980, the event moved to the 3/4-mile oval, combining the track's frontstretch with an oval circling the infield garage area behind pit road. In 1992, the Race of Champions moved to New Jersey's Flemington Speedway, a 0.621-mile track that nearly resembled a rounded square, another unique challenge.

In 1996, the Race of Champions found a long-time home in Oswego Speedway, hosting the event until 2014 and again in 2016. The 2015 Race of Champions took place at Chemung Speedrome, and Lake Erie Speedway hosted the event from 2017 until this weekend's event at Thompson.

A Prestigious List of Race of Champions Winners

With a history dating back to the 1950s, some of the all-time greats in racing are etched onto the Al Gerber Trophy. NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Richie Evans, Ray Hendrick, and Mike Stefanik are past Race of Champions winners, along with past NASCAR Cup Series competitors such as 1986 Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine, named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, and his brother, Brett, Jimmy Spencer, and Greg Sacks.

Beyond those names, the list of Race of Champions winners is a "Who's Who" of Modified heroes. Reggie Ruggiero, George Kent, Jr., Maynard Troyer, Tony Hirschman - these are just some of the legends who have won the Race of Champions.

Today's Modified stars have also gone to victory lane in the prestigious event, adding their names to the record books. Earlier this year, Jake Lutz won the makeup of the 72nd Race of Champions at Lake Erie Speedway. NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor Patrick Emerling won the event in 2023.

Matt Hirschman has dominated the event in the past decade-plus, establishing himself as the winningest driver in the history of the Race of Champions. Before Hirschman, Dutch Hoag's five "National Open" wins at Langhorne made him the winningest driver in the event. Hirschman blew past that mark with nine wins in the event, his first coming in 2012 and his most recent coming one year ago.

Watch the Race of Champions 150 on RacingAmerica.TV

Saturday's Race of Champions 150 on Saturday, October 11, is part of RacingAmerica.TV's coverage of the Sunoco World Series at Thompson. Click here to become a RacingAmerica.TV subscriber and watch the Race of Champions 150 as part of three days of coverage from Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this weekend.

-Photo credit: Duane Canfield/Race of Champions

Race of Champions Winners

*After several attempts, the 2022 edition of the Race of Champions 250 was contested on September 13, 2025