(Photo: Superstar Racing Experience)
By Aaron Bearden
One of motorsport’s highlights from 2021 is back for 2022 with some changes and new faces joining a group of familiar contenders.
The Superstar Racing Experience will begin its sophomore season on Saturday at Five Flags Speedway, kicking off another six weeks of short track action at a mix of new and returning venues.
Here’s a quick look at the details for the second year of the popular short track tour.
The Coverage
Races will air on CBS from 8 through 10 p.m. ET each Saturday night. Streaming will also be available on Paramount+.
The Format
The Superstar Racing Experience is meant to provide competition similar to the defunct International Race of Champions, pitting stars against each other in identically-prepared cars on short tracks. Each race has a similar format, meant to make for an easily-digestible race that fits into the two-hour TV window.
Included are two 15-minute heat races and a final 100-lap feature. The heats help determine the starting lineup for the feature, while all three events award points that count toward the championship.
The Tracks
Snowball Derby host Five Flags Speedway will field its first Superstar Racing Experience race on Saturday. It’s one of four newcomers to the schedule, with two fresh facilities bookending the pair of returning venues in the middle of the schedule.
South Boston (Va.) Speedway will see its first SRX trip on June 25. Additional races at paved tracks will continue in return trips to Stafford Motor Speedway (July 2) and Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (July 9).
The series will then be wrapped up with a pair of dirt race’s at Ken Schrader’s I-55 Speedway (July 16) and Dave Blaney’s Sharon Speedway (July 23).
Missing from this year’s schedule after hosting Season 1 races are Knoxville Raceway, Eldora Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway and Slinger Speedway.
Superstar Racing Experience Schedule
- Five Flags Speedway (June 18)
- South Boston (Va.) Speedway (June 25)
- Stafford Motor Speedway (July 2)
- Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (July 9)
- I-55 Speedway (July 16)
- Sharon Speedway (July 23)
The Field
Just like in its debut season, SRX will utilize a field of familiar veteran drivers while spotlighting other stars in part-time entries.
Defending champion Tony Stewart will be back to try to score a second SRX title. Also returning from Season 1 on a full-time basis are 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte, NTT IndyCar Series veteran Marco Andretti and 2003 Champ Car World Series title-winner Paul Tracy.
Making their first full-time efforts in SRX are Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman, Indianapolis 500 victor Ryan Hunter-Reay and longtime NASCAR veteran Greg Biffle.
The group will be joined by numerous recognizable names in part-time outings.
Four-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves will make a three-race return to SRX at South Boston, Stafford and Nashville. Bill Elliott will also be back for a pair of races at Five Flags and Stafford. Tony Kanaan will compete in five of the six races, missing only Stafford.
Update (6/18): Castroneves has also been added to the opening race at Five Flags.
NASCAR veteran Matt Kenseth will join the field for his first trio of races at Nashville, I-55 and Sharon. Ken Schrader all enter the mix at I-55.
Two of the young standouts and storyline creators from the first season will also make appearances. SRX winner-turned Indy Lights driver Ernie Francis Jr. will compete at Five Flags and South Boston. Camping World Truck Series regular Hailie Deegan will drop in at Stafford and I-55.
The biggest modern stars confirmed to be competing are Josef Newgarden, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott. IndyCar ace Newgarden will compete at Nashville in his native Tennessee, while Elliott will join Ryan and his father Dave Blaney to compete in the season finale at Sharon. Elliott won last season’s final race at Nashville.
Also returning is the addition of at least one local star to serve as a ringer for each race. Late model standout Bubba Pollard will be the first local to give the series a go, having secured the opportunity at Five Flags by having the best average finish across a pair of Twin-100-lap late model features in April.
Peyton Sellers has the opportunity for South Boston. Matt Hirschman earned his spot for Stafford with a win in the Spring Sizzler modified race. Cole Williams won a fan vote to get the opportunity at Nashville. Schrader is entered for I-55, with the elder Blaney slotted in at Sharon.
Full driver lineups can be seen below.
SRX Season 2 Entry Lists
Five Flags Speedway
Paul Tracy
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Bobby Labonte
Ryan Newman
Marco Andretti
Michael Waltrip
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Tony Kanaan
Bill Elliott
Ernie Francis Jr.
Bubba Pollard
Helio Castroneves
South Boston Speedway
Paul Tracy
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Bobby Labonte
Ryan Newman
Marco Andretti
Michael Waltrip
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Tony Kanaan
Helio Castroneves
Ernie Francis Jr.
Peyton Sellers
Stafford Motor Speedway
Paul Tracy
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Bobby Labonte
Ryan Newman
Marco Andretti
Michael Waltrip
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Bill Elliott
Helio Castroneves
Hailie Deegan
Matt Hirschman
Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway
Paul Tracy
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Bobby Labonte
Ryan Newman
Marco Andretti
Michael Waltrip
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Tony Kanaan
Helio Castroneves
Matt Kenseth
Josef Newgarden
Cole Williams
I-55 Speedway
Paul Tracy
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Bobby Labonte
Ryan Newman
Marco Andretti
Michael Waltrip
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Tony Kanaan
Hailie Deegan
Matt Kenseth
Ken Schrader
Sharon Speedway
Paul Tracy
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Bobby Labonte
Ryan Newman
Marco Andretti
Michael Waltrip
Greg Biffle
Tony Stewart
Tony Kanaan
Ryan Blaney
Matt Kenseth
Chase Elliott
Dave Blaney
Other Notes
Mixed in with the new schedule and competitors are a few additional changes tied to the series.
Longtime industry member Don Hawk has stepped up to the role of CEO of the series, having taken the position prior to Christmas in 2021. His ascendance comes at a time when co-founder and former day-to-day operations leader, Ray Evernham, has elected to step down and serve as a more traditional owner and investor.
Camping World has returned as series sponsor, with the tour officially called the Camping World SRX Series. It has an official fuel supplier in VP Racing Fuels, Goodyear as an official tire supplier and numerous partners including Whelen, Lucas Oil Products, Progressive Insurance and Sun Outdoors.
Resources
The app Race Monitor should have timing and scoring available at each track along the way. I’ve also made a Twitter list to help follow along with associated accounts come race day.
