The Superstars Racing Experience Experiment Begins Tomorrow
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Tony Stewart was never subtle. His opinions were well documented throughout his two-decade career at NASCAR's top level, and, even as a championship-winning team owner, he still has the time to say exactly what he thinks of the sport's leadership. It should be no surprise that his vision for stock car racing, Superstars Racing Experience, looks absolutely nothing like modern-day NASCAR.
The ambition was never to create a competitor to stock car racing's top dog, of course. SRX is not a breakaway league like the Indy Racing League or an ambitious new challenger like the XFL. In fact, it defines itself by being the opposite. SRX is a series for drivers, one that divorces the job of being a racing driver from the act of racing professionally. This is a series that eschews teams, manufacturers, and hunts for individual sponsorship for a series-mandated spec car and a roster of drivers that are mostly united in either knowing or being Tony Stewart.
The inaugural season will be headlined by Stewart and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves. The rest of the field is, largely, retired and semi-retired stars of the 2000s. Some of those are big names, like NASCAR champion Bill Elliott. Others, like Marco Andretti, are less accomplished. The field also includes a star car, set aside for short-track professionals who would not otherwise get such a big opportunity to compete on a national stage.
The cars are incredibly simple. The late model-like spec machines are fairly standard for stock car racing's lower levels, although a massive wing and X-shaped taillights give them a more distinct look. Power comes from 700-hp Ilmor engines, a standard carried over from the ARCA series NASCAR now owns. The tracks are simple, too. All six are independent short tracks, some of which are paved and some of which are covered in dirt.
All of this is intentional. SRX is not here to change the world, it is here because Stewart and co-founder Ray Evernham missed racing, but did not miss the duties that come with being a high-profile name in a high-profile series. Instead, SRX has taken what was once the IROC business model and applied it to something even less ambitious, creating a televised home for racers who are done with the responsibilities of being a top-flight professional driver but not yet done driving.
All six SRX races air on CBS on Saturday nights starting at 8 p.m. ET. The first race is tomorrow, and the series will continue every weekend until it wraps up on July 17.
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