Getty SRX Series cars wait on the grid at Stafford Motor Speedway.
The Superstar Racing Experience is back for the 2023 season. Top drivers from multiple series will head to Stafford Motor Speedway for the first of six short track races, and they will battle for bragging rights.
The first race of the season marks a major change for the third-year series. Instead of airing on CBS Sports, the SRX Series events will now be exclusive to ESPN. The sports broadcaster will use the series to bring back the “Thursday Night Thunder” brand, and it will air the races at 9 p.m. ET.
Finally.
There will be a special broadcast crew for this season-opening event. Allen Bestwick will return to the booth to call the action while Matt Yocum will report from the pits.
Two-time NASCAR champion Joey Logano will be on hand to serve as a guest analyst after he made his debut during the 2022 championship race. ESPN SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe will round out the group while hosting the telecast.
Once Logano is done with his booth duties, he and some of the top drivers in NASCAR will prepare for a busy weekend in the Northeast. The SRX Series race will kick off the weekend, which will continue with the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 15, and the Cup Series race on Sunday, July 16. Both will take place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The Opening Lineup Features Big Names & Champions
GettyThe SRX Series cars return to action on July 13.
The SRX Series has made a point to bring in standout drivers in the first two seasons of competition. This includes Michael Waltrip, Chase Elliott, Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney, Bill Elliott, and multiple other examples.
The expectation was that there would be more guest drivers during the 2023 season. CEO Don Hawk and the SRX Series did not disappoint. There are several big names that will compete both full-time and part-time over the course of six weeks.
“Feel free to chime in any time!”
Yes, we talk to our drivers mid-race while they’re on the track battling it out.
The opening week will feature full-time drivers in 2021 SRX champion Tony Stewart, 2022 SRX champion Marco Andretti, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Hailie Deegan, Bobby Labonte, Ken Schrader, and Paul Tracy.
The list of guest drivers is equally stacked. Kevin Harvick will make his SRX Series debut, as will former Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer and three-time Daytona champion Denny Hamlin. 2004 IndyCar Series champion Tony Kanaan will also make his return to the series so he can help kick off the season.
2 Drivers Just Landed a New Sponsor
GettyRyan Newman races during the 2022 SRX Series season.
The roster is set for the season-opening SRX Series race, and the stage is set for a trip to Stafford Motor Speedway. Though the series continues to make significant moves.
The SRX Series kicked off race week by announcing that a new primary sponsor had jumped on board. South Point Hotel, Casino, and Spa will support both Newman and Harvick.
This partnership will begin with the season-opening race at Stafford Motor Speedway. This is the same track where Newman won in 2022 after an intense battle with Marco Andretti.
“Driving the South Point car is going to be really fun for me,” Harvick said in a press release. “The Gaughan family has always supported many forms of racing and being around the track all these years have become great friends. Looking forward to representing South Point on Thursday Night Thunder on ESPN.”