Exciting Collaboration: iRacing and Superstar Racing Experience Forge a Strategic Partnership

September 19, 2023September 19, 2023 ~ Jeff Kendrick ~ Leave a comment

iRacing and the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) have announced a groundbreaking long-term partnership that will see the inclusion of the SRX car and the SRX series within the iRacing platform. iRacing is already hard at work, planning a comprehensive scanning of the SRX car and data collection, with an anticipated release set for 2024.

iRacing President, Tony Gardner, shared his enthusiasm for this exciting collaboration, stating, “We’re thrilled to welcome SRX into iRacing in an upcoming release. The SRX car has been highly requested by our passionate community, and with many of SRX’s iconic tracks already featured in our platform, we anticipate a seamless integration. We eagerly look forward to its release next year and can’t wait for our dedicated iRacers to get their hands on it!”

Don Hawk, CEO of SRX, expressed his excitement, saying, “We’ve listened to the fans on social media, and we’re ecstatic that race enthusiasts will soon have the chance to experience the thrill of driving an SRX car in iRacing. We firmly believe that the SRX car, schedule, and race format will deliver incredible action in both the virtual and real worlds, making this series a welcome addition to iRacing in 2024. We can’t wait for iRacers worldwide to immerse themselves in what we’ve crafted in the coming months.”

Founded by a group led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, SRX brings a unique blend of racing legends, current superstars, and emerging talent to various paved and dirt short tracks across the United States. In 2023, the series partnered with ESPN to revive the iconic “Thursday Night Thunder” branding, a staple of the network’s early motorsports programming. Since its debut in 2021, SRX champions have included racing icons like Tony Stewart, Marco Andretti, and Ryan Newman, while numerous top stock car, open-wheel, and dirt oval racers have also graced the series over the past three thrilling years of competition.

Evernham and Stewart Bring SRX Championship Race to Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 ~ Jeff Kendrick ~ 2 Comments

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway will host a Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event on July 17, 2021. The Superstar Racing Experience Series is the brainchild of three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham, Sandy Montag and George Pine.

The Superstar Racing Experience is a new racing series that runs on Saturday nights. The first race will be on June 12 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford, Connecticut. The series will conclude on July 17 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in a race scheduled to be broadcast on CBS television. The series is in stark contrast to NASCAR Series racing because it features shorter races on short asphalt tracks and dirt tracks. The Superstar Racing Experience currently features legendary drivers from a variety of racing backgrounds, but later may include younger up and coming drivers looking for exposure. Tony Stewart has compared the series to the now defunct International Race of Champions (IROC). SRX cars will be designed in total by co-founder Ray Evernham. Fury Race Cars will design and build the racing chassis for the cars. The cars are said to have high horsepower and low downforce.

According to the SRX website:

SRX will re-ignite the passion of the die-hard motorsports fan and reintroduce racing to a whole new generation.

Featuring an unprecedented line-up of all-star drivers and crews, this supercharged spectacle is hellbent on recapturing the glory days of racing and getting things back on track. Big engines, bigger personalities, and big-time drama and intensity irresistible. This will be the most exhilarating racing on the planet.

SRX events will be held primarily on asphalt and dirt half-mile race tracks. Here is the SRX schedule.

June 12 – Stafford Motor Speedway
June 19 – Knoxville Raceway
June 26 – Eldora Speedway
July 3 – Lucas Oil Raceway
July 10 – Slinger Speedway
July 17 – Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway

“All (of these tracks) demand respect and each forces drivers to adapt,” Stewart said. “What works at one track won’t necessarily transfer to another.”

Speaking of drivers, here’s a lift of drives that is expected to compete in the Superstar Racing Experience.

Driver	Primary series	Accomplishments
Tony Stewart	NASCAR Cup Series	1996–97 IndyCar Series Champion, 2002, 2005, and 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Tony Kanaan	IndyCar Series	2004 IndyCar Series Champion, 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner
Paul Tracy	IndyCar Series	2003 CART season Champion
Bobby Labonte	NASCAR Cup Series	2000 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Hélio Castroneves	IndyCar Series	2001, 2002, and 2009 Indianapolis 500 Winner
Willy T. Ribbs	Trans-Am Series	1976 Formula Ford Champion
Mark Webber	Formula One	2015 FIA World Endurance Champion
Bill Elliott	NASCAR Cup Series	1988 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, 1985 and 1987 Daytona 500 Winner
Ernie Francis Jr.	Trans-Am Series	Seven-time Trans-Am Series Champion

Tony Stewart Says It’s Time To Get Kyle Larson Back in the Sport

August 19, 2020August 20, 2020 ~ Jeff Kendrick ~ Leave a comment

Tony Stewart told an interviewer Wednesday that he feels “It’s time to get Kyle (Larson) back in sport.” Larson was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR in April of this year, then fired by Chip Ganassi Racing after he used a racial slur in an iRacing event. Larson has discussed the incident in interviews with the press.

“I made a mistake and I’m paying for it and I accept that,” Larson told the AP. “NASCAR is where I always wanted to be and I do believe I proved I can compete at the Cup level. I’d like to get back there and we’ll see if there’s a way. All I can do is continue to improve myself and let my actions show who I truly am.”

Larson is required to submit a formal request to NASCAR in order to be considered for reinstatement. A NASCAR spokesperson has confirmed that Larson has made inquiries, but has not yet submitted a formal request.

“I feel like it’s time to get Kyle back in the sport,” Stewart said. “I think he’s paid his dues. I think he served his penalty as far as society is concerned. I think it’s time for NASCAR to let the kid have an opportunity to get back to where he belongs and that’s behind (the wheel) of a stock car.”

While Larson has been suspended from NASCAR competition, he has not been inactive in the sport. He has dominated dirt sprint car racing, becoming the first driver to win seven straight races in Tony Stewart’s Sprint Car Series.