IROC XXVII

2003 International Race of Champions

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File:Kurt Busch (2228680943).jpg

Kurt Busch (seen in 2008), the IROC XXVII champion

IROC XXVII was the 27th season of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions, which began on Friday, February 14, 2003 at Daytona International Speedway. The roster included 12 drivers from five separate racing leagues. Mark Martin won the first race to tie an IROC record 11 career wins, tying him with Al Unser Jr. and Dale Earnhardt. Rookie Kurt Busch won in only his second start in race 2 after finishing second at Daytona. At Chicagoland, Mike Bliss became the first driver representing the Craftsman Truck Series to win a race in IROC competition. Jimmie Johnson won the final race of the year for his first career IROC victory. Kurt Busch clinched the title with his fourth-place showing in the race, as Mark Martin and Mike Bliss, his closest competitors, finished fifth and tenth, respectively.

The roster of drivers and final points standings were as follows:

Position	Driver	Points	Series
1	Template:Flagicon Kurt Busch	69	NASCAR Winston Cup
2	Template:Flagicon Mark Martin	58	NASCAR Winston Cup
3	Template:Flagicon Jimmie Johnson	56	NASCAR Winston Cup
4	Template:Flagicon Mike Bliss	54	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
5	Template:Flagicon Kevin Harvick	48	NASCAR Winston Cup
6	Template:Flagicon Ryan Newman	48	NASCAR Winston Cup
7	Template:Flagicon Greg Biffle	41	NASCAR Busch Series
8	Template:Flagicon Sam Hornish Jr.	30	Indy Racing League
9	Template:Flagicon Danny Lasoski	27	World of Outlaws
10	Template:Flagicon Felipe Giaffone Template:Flagicon Scott Sharp	24	Indy Racing League
11	Template:Flagicon Steve Kinser	24	World of Outlaws
12	Template:Flagicon Hélio Castroneves	23	Indy Racing League

Race One (Daytona International Speedway)

1. Mark Martin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Danny Lasoski
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Greg Biffle
6. Steve Kinser
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Sam Hornish Jr.
9. Mike Bliss
10. Felipe Giaffone
11. Hélio Castroneves
12. Ryan Newman

Race Two (Talladega Superspeedway)

1. Kurt Busch
2. Mike Bliss
3. Greg Biffle
4. Sam Hornish Jr.
5. Mark Martin
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Ryan Newman
8. Jimmie Johnson
9. Steve Kinser
10. Danny Lasoski
11. Felipe Giaffone
12. Hélio Castroneves

Race Three (Chicagoland Speedway)

1. Mike Bliss
2. Ryan Newman
3. Kurt Busch
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Mark Martin
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Sam Hornish Jr.
8. Scott Sharp
9. Danny Lasoski
10. Hélio Castroneves
11. Steve Kinser

Race Four (Indianapolis Motor Speedway)

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Ryan Newman
4. Kurt Busch
5. Mark Martin
6. Steve Kinser
7. Greg Biffle
8. Hélio Castroneves
9. Steve Kinser
10. Mike Bliss
11. Sam Hornish Jr.
12. Danny Lasoski