SRX to Partner with ESPN to Bring Back Thursday Night Thunder
Dec 12, 2022
NEW YORK, NY -- December 21, 2022 -- Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) have announced their 2023 season schedule. The races will air on six consecutive Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App, bringing back the iconic “ESPN Thursday Night Thunder” branding.
The series will kick off its 2023 schedule at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut on July 13th. After that, the series will travel north for its first visit to the iconic Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont on July 20th. SRX will then head south to Virginia for a shootout at Motor Mile Speedway on July 27th before visiting Michigan for the first time to race at the esteemed Berlin Raceway in the greater Grand Rapids area on August 3rd. The series will culminate its 2023 season with back-to-back dirt races at Eldora Speedway (OH) on August 10th, followed by the championship race at Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri on August 17th.
“The six tracks we selected came from a list of 42 fantastic venues, all who had real interest in hosting an SRX race this summer,” said Don Hawk, SRX Chief Executive Officer. “When selecting the schedule, we prioritized historic tracks that have had success hosting big-time events. We are really excited with the six tracks that have been selected - the venues will be packed and bring incredible energy and local racing passion that will come out on ESPN for Thursday Night Thunder. This summer will be short track racing at its very best. SRX at 6 historic short tracks all over the US – we can’t wait and are so excited for the fans to experience it on ESPN in Primetime.”
“It was important to us to kick-off this summer at Stafford Motor Speedway, in Bristol’s (CT) backyard. Stafford and the Arute Family have done a first-class job, and the proximity to ESPN made the home game concept very exciting. SRX’s first visit to Thunder Road (VT) will be awesome – the fans there are spectacular, and we’re excited for race rans around the country to see how awesome that place is. We are equally excited to visit Motor Mile and Berlin Race - these are two tracks that have been on our radar since day one. Finally, finishing the season with back-to-back dirt races will test the driver’s adaptability. Eldora is a world class facility, and with Tony [Stewart], we know we are getting the very best. And hosting our championship at Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri will be the perfect finale to a diverse and exciting 2023 summer schedule,” said Hawk.
About SRX:
Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) was created by Sandy Montag and The Montag Group, Investor and former NASCAR COO, George Pyne, NASCAR Hall of Famer and legendary driver Tony Stewart, and NASCAR Hall of Fame Crew Chief and Owner Ray Evernham. Over the first two seasons of SRX, the six- race series has featured drivers from a variety of racing backgrounds with an emphasis on champion-level drivers. SRX has seen some of the sport’s biggest names compete including: Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott, Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy, Bobby Labonte, Willy T. Ribbs, Hailie Deegan, Ryan Blaney, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Marco Andretti, Matt Kenseth, Michael Waltrip, Josef Newgarden, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves, and many more.
In 2022, the series field featured a total of five NASCAR Cup Series Championships, three IndyCar Series Championships, four Daytona 500 Winners, five Indianapolis 500 Winners and four NASCAR Hall of Fame Drivers. Tony Stewart claimed the inaugural SRX Championship in 2021, and Marco Andretti claimed the 2022 Championship.
About Motorsports on ESPN:
ESPN’s motorsports coverage over the years has included nearly every form of racing – NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula One, drag racing, sports car racing, motorcycles and more. Production values and sheer volume of content set ESPN apart very early in the game.
ESPN aired its first race on Oct. 7, 1979, exactly one month after the network went on the air. The race was a USAC event taped the previous summer in Salem, Ind. In March of 1981, ESPN aired its first NASCAR Cup race, a tape-delayed event from Rockingham, N.C., and on June 7, 1981, the network aired its first live race, a CART event at Milwaukee.
Currently, the full Formula 1 World Championship airs on ESPN platforms. F1 returned to its original U.S. television home in 2018 – the first race ever aired in the country was on ABC in 1962. F1 races also aired on ESPN from 1984-1997.
2023 Superstar Racing Experience Schedule
July 13 - Stafford Motor Speedway
July 20 - Thunder Road Speedbowl
July 27 - Motor Mile Speedway
August 3 - Berlin Raceway
August 10 - Eldora Speedway
August 17 - Lucas Oil Speedway
-SRX Racing Press Release