A new racing circuit is set to debut next summer.
NASCAR Hall of Famers Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham are starting the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) in 2021, Sports Business Journal first reported.
The series, which will air on CBS Saturday nights during the summer, will have six short-track races. Agent Sandy Montag and former NASCAR COO George Pyne join Stewart and Evernham in the venture.
Evernham will design and build the cars to showcase drivers’ and crew chiefs’ talents.
“We want to make that machine be a big part of it, but it’s got to be the driver, crew chief, the human being controlling the machine, not the machine controlling the outcome of the competition,” Evernham said. “That combination of driver, crew chief and machine, no computers telling you what to do, no simulation. It’s really about the competition, how well that driver and crew chief can make that machine go against one another.”
The cars will also be able to run on different types of tracks and surfaces, such as dirt, paved ovals and road courses. One possible track is Eldora Speedway, which Stewart owns. Evernham also is interested in historic, smaller tracks.
“We’d like to be on shorter tracks in grassroots America, for a couple of reasons,” he said. “It keeps the cars close, it keeps the speeds down, it’s going to let the guys play and bounce around and use each other up a little for some exciting racing.”
Twelve well-known active and retired drivers will compete in races that feature two 45-minute heats and no pit stops. There will be winnings available for each race, as well as a points-based SRX Series Championship.
Stewart is the first driver confirmed to compete in the series.
Alright ran fans. Let’s hear it! 11 spots left in the @SRXracing series to join @TonyStewart. Who’s on your wish list?
— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) July 13, 2020
The series will air next summer on CBS and will also be available to stream on the subscription service CBS All Access.
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.