Remember the old IROC Series, where the best drivers from various disciplines raced each other in equally prepared cars? It ran for 30 seasons before Tony Stewart…
Remember the old IROC Series, where the best drivers from various disciplines raced each other in equally prepared cars? It ran for 30 seasons before Tony Stewart won its final championship in 2006 and the series quietly went away.
Now Stewart, along with fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham, has teamed with a group of heavyweights to bring an all-star circuit back in 2021. The Superstar Racing Experience plans a six-race, short-track series to air in prime time on CBS in a Saturday night summer spectacular.
SRX envisions fields of 12 drivers competing on famed short tracks across the country in cars prepared by Evernham, the architect of Jeff Gordon’s early career and a noted car designer. Stewart plans to be one of the participants and already has a wish list of drivers he’ll pursue, and he’ll likely offer up Eldora Speedway, his short track in Ohio, as one of the venues.
The idea was driven by Evernham, eager to see a series that featured cars that don’t rely on aerodynamics and reward mechanical grip and driver skill. The three-time championship winning crew chief and former team owner was able to talk the vision up to a group of supporters that includes former NASCAR executive George Pyne, who also was President of IMG Sports before founding Bruin Sports Capital, as well as Sandy Montag, chairman of talent representation firm The Montag Group.
Stewart signed on and the vision was sold to CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus.
„With the backing from legends in the racing industry, the quality of the drivers and competition, and the atmosphere that short tracks will help to create, the Superstar Racing Experience is a great addition to our live summer sports programming that racing fans will embrace,” McManus said of the Monday unveil of SRX.
