Getty Tony Stewart (center) celebrates a win at I-55 Raceway.
Smoke is back in action for the return of “Thursday Night Thunder” on ESPN. Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will take on the full Superstar Racing Experience schedule while pursuing his second championship.
The SRX Series announced the news on February 23 and confirmed that Stewart would be back behind the wheel of the purpose-built car for six consecutive events. He will kick off the 2023 season on July 13 at Stafford Motor Speedway (Connecticut) and continue to battle for wins through the August 17 season finale at Lucas Oil Speedway (Missouri).
“I’m excited to race full-time in SRX for a third straight season and compete for another championship,” Stewart said in a press release. “I’m really proud of what we’ve all built, and the quality of drivers we’ve assembled for 2023 is a testament to SRX’s success, and the passion and excitement we’ve earned from fans in the short-track community.
“We’re looking forward to another summer of sold-out racetracks and can’t wait to bring Thursday Night Thunder back to ESPN.”
The SRX Series races will only add to Stewart’s planned schedule. He will also take on the full NHRA schedule, starting with Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on March 1-5. He will drive a Top Alcohol dragster for McPhillips Racing while Mobil 1 serves as his primary partner.
Stewart Has Achieved Success in the SRX Series
GettyTony Stewart celebrates an SRX Series win.
As the co-creator of the SRX Series, Stewart has had a presence from the very beginning. This has been both on and off the track. Though he has turned the most heads while racing at a variety of short tracks.
There have been 12 SRX Series events between the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Stewart has won four of them. This list includes South Boston Speedway (2022), I-55 Raceway (2022), Knoxville Raceway (2021), and Eldora Speedway (2021).
Along with securing multiple wins, Stewart also captured the inaugural SRX Series championship in 2021 after a consistent season in which he regularly stacked points. He went on to finish fourth in the championship standings in 2022.
“To have Tony Stewart back for his third year in SRX is huge,” said SRX Series CEO Don Hawk. “Tony has an immeasurable impact on the SRX brand, racing product, and the ESPN Broadcast. Tony is really involved during the season and off-season. He makes me think deeply about the product on the track, the driver selections, racetracks, and race format.
“Tony is a fierce competitor first and foremost, and never lets his ownership position in SRX interfere with a good decision or the racing product. It’s not often you can say you have a three-time NASCAR Champion driver, multiple series car owner, current NHRA driver, NASCAR Hall of Famer who’s not just your boss, but your friend.”
Stewart Reunites With Several Competitors
GettyTony Stewart (right) will race against Clint Bowyer (left).
The return of Stewart sets up another intriguing season of SRX Series action. It also provides the NASCAR Hall of Famer with an opportunity to face off once again against some of his former peers.
There are several drivers ready for the SRX Series season. This list includes Ryan Newman (full-time), Bobby Labonte (full-time), Hailie Deegan (full-time), Brad Keselowski (full-time), Helio Castroneves (part-time), Clint Bowyer (part-time), Kyle Busch (part-time), Kevin Harvick (part-time), and Kenny Wallace (Lucas Oil Speedway).
There will be more drivers that join the list in the coming weeks as the SRX Series prepares for its first season on ESPN. For now, Stewart will prepare to battle side-by-side with fellow champions and former teammates alike.