NASCAR is massively popular but remains a fairly insular world. It may look a little silly to nonracing fans or even fans of other racing series; I get it. But, even if you don’t know racing at all, you have probably heard the name Tony Stewart. Well, he and fellow NASCAR big-shot Ray Evernham have teamed up to create a new racing series based on something IROC-esq, all piloted by an all-star cast of racing drivers called the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). 

It’s time we gave NASCAR drivers something new

According to The Drive, Tony Stewart and Ray Everham teamed up to bring us an all-new racing series called the Superstar Racing Experience or SRX, as the fans will surely come to know it by. This series will be significantly shorter and only have six races. The races will take place on a shorter oval track and mirror the spirit of the International race of Champions. Think of the SRX as like an all-star series, but they are all driving identical cars to keep things limited to sheer ability, not engineering.  

What will they be driving in the SRX? 

Unlike NASCAR, the SRX drivers will all be driving the same car – and it looks and sounds wild. The Drive points out the SRX cars kind of resemble the most famous IROC cars, the Chevy Camero, and I agree. 

These are still stock cars with a body over cage chassis. But, unlike the current NASCAR lineup, these cars have style. They are low-slung and mean-looking. It doesn’t seem like there is much information on these cars’ power specs yet, but I’m sure it’s soon to come. One thing is for sure, Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham have built this series to appeal to drivers and fans alike. 

What will the SRX series look like? 

Racingnews.com covered the news and had Evernham talking about the new series. Evernham talks about SRX like he is shaking in his seat; he is so excited. Although it is similar to the IROC series, it feels a bit more cowboy-esq. Evernham said, “We can make the cars much more identical [than IROC]. We’re not going to rely on a bunch of aero. We’re going to have a very responsive engine, so we can create passing.”

The closer the cars are, the closer fans and drivers can assess who is the best driver. Stewart and Evernahm have set this up to give as little chance for preparation as possible. Evernham went on to say that, “Here, you’ll draw for your race car. Then, you’ll also draw for a legendary crew chief. You and your crew chief will have about a 20-minute practice.”

Right now, they are planning short ½-mile paved tracks that will keep things much more lively than the normal NASCAR race. They are even talking about having dirt oval courses as well. I have never followed NASCAR, but a dirt track might make me dig into this. 

May the best driver win

The main focus will be superstar drivers who aren’t currently running full schedules with NASCAR. Right now, Tony Stewart is the only confirmed driver that we know of. But, based on the fact that they seem to be staying away from current drivers, we should hope to see some older fan favorites grace the starting lineup. 

The plan is to have 12 cars racing. That will most likely be 10 full-time drivers and two teams from other motors sports like rally or even motorcycle extreme sports. 

There are still many unknown factors here, but one thing is for sure, if you care about car racing at all, this is likely to get your heart rate up just a bit. I’ll just come right out and say it, this sounds like it will be completely kick-ass, and I can’t wait.