The Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) is a showcase of automobile racing all-stars, but is its upcoming third Season putting too much emphasis on all-stars from stock cars?
When the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) in July 2020, it was compared by co-founder Tony Stewart as a successor to the International Race of Champions (IROC). With equally performing cars and a roster of stars, the resemblance was uncanny. The world would be able to get a glimpse of the past, present, and future of racing compete against one another across asphalt and dirt tracks.
As the season makes preparations for its third season, specific announcements make cause for concern. The league has announced the signing of nine drivers for 2023. Four will be full-time competitors while the other five will make one-off appearances at select races. Of the nine, eight will be former or current NASCAR stars. With these announcements, it can be seen as a similar situation as to how IROC’s primary focus was stock car drivers and tracks.
How did the series arrive at this point? Why the sudden change in direction to attract stock car athletes and deter what made the series so unique in the first place?
Centering the schedule around NASCAR
Where previous SRX schedules began in June and would go into July, season 3 will begin on July 13th at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut, before completing its stretch at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri. While a decent schedule on paper, each event coincides with a NASCAR event in the surrounding area that weekend:
- Round 1: Stafford Motor Speedway coincides with the Crayon 301 NASCAR Cup Series event at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway
- Round 2: Thunder Road Speedbowl coincides with the Pocono 400 at the Pocono Raceway
- Round 3: Motor Mile Speedway coincides with the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway
- Round 4: Berlin Raceway coincides with the FireKeepers 400 at the Michigan International Speedway
- Round 5: Eldora Speedway coincides with the Verizon 200 on the Road Course of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Round 6: Lucas Oil Speedway coincides with the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International
The season finale at Lucas Oil is the one exception to this strategy. While the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will be competing at Watkins Glen International, the IndyCar Series has an off week in between Indianapolis and Gateway. It is likely that the event may be more of a showcase of open-wheel drivers across IndyCar, USAC, and Sprint Cars. But at that point in the season, being the last event on the schedule, it has a tendency of being too little too late if something were to go wrong.
The Driver Roster
With the exception of the returning Hélio Castroneves, every competitor announced for season 3 has a primary background in stock cars. While not necessarily a terrible strategy, it showcases exclusivity.
This is not a question of stature in the respective legacies of Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, or Hailie Deegan. It is a question of potential oversaturation.
NASCAR has had its own all-star showcase since 1985. While their event needs to regenerate and remind sports fans across the world what an all-star showcase is all about, it should not have to come down to primary emphasis or favoritism of one form of competition over another. The leveled playing field and variety of disciplines provide the SRX as a potential land of opportunity.
While a great test for a trial run if ESPN were exploring NASCAR media rights, this exclusivity has the potential of being detrimental to the SRX. As with any business, it should not take itself for granted and highlight a reputation as being exclusive, not inclusive.
