Testing Session Builds Excitement for South Boston SRX Event

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (May 16, 2022) -- Excitement continues to build for South Boston Speedway’s June 25 SRX (Superstar Racing Experience) event, with the speedway hosting a closed testing session for the SRX series last Thursday.

Fans are excited about South Boston Speedway’s nationally televised June 25 SRX event that will feature 12 of the country’s best drivers in identically prepared cars. SRX officials are excited about the event as well.

“When I signed up for this deal and I took a look at the schedule and saw South Boston, I was like ‘been there, done that, I need a bologna sandwich, let’s go,'” SRX CEO Don Hawk said with a smile. “Working with the Mattioli Family, the ownership group of South Boston Speedway and Pocono Raceway, is rich history for me personally.

“It should be a great show,” Hawk continued. “We have some of the best drivers in the United States. We have different disciplines of drivers from IndyCar to NASCAR. It’s a great representation of talent, and we have this car. The car is not a Late Model and it’s not a Cup car. It’s somewhere caught in the middle. We’re excited about that and are looking forward to putting on a great show.”

The idea behind SRX, Hawk said, is to help grow grassroots racing.

“The notion behind SRX is we wanted to take the best drivers in the country, put them on short tracks in the United States and grow the place that feeds the system,” Hawk explained. “For us, a place like South Boston Speedway made so much sense. If you don’t feed the short track racing system, you don’t get the stars and cars of tomorrow.”

David Stremme, a former NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series driver, has the task of testing the SRX cars. He competed at South Boston Speedway in the past

“I was here in 2002 competing in an ASA race,” Stremme noted during a break in the testing session. “The track has always been an iconic short track. When you look at Saturday night racing or Friday night racing, South Boston Speedway is at the top.

“It’s really neat having the SRX series here,” he added. “The track’s in phenomenal shape. The people here do a very good job keeping the track up.

“I’m excited to be here,” Stremme added. “I’ll be excited to get a bologna sandwich when I get back.”

Stremme said the testing session went well.

“We’re just trying to get a pretty good balance for all of the drivers,” he explained. “This is a diverse group of drivers that we have. Ray Evernham built a universal car. We went to Sharon Speedway (in Hartford Township, Ohio) last week and tested, and it drove really well on the dirt. Here at South Boston, the car has been good since we unloaded it. I think it would be great on a road course too. When you look at the drivers it doesn’t favor one driver over another in the series. The car is very diverse, and that’s what makes it fun.”

The driver lineup for the June 25 SRX series event at South Boston Speedway includes defending SRX champion Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Michael Waltrip, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Paul Tracy, all of whom are running the full slate of six SRX races. Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Ernie Francis Jr., who are running a partial SRX schedule, will join them for the South Boston Speedway event.

READ MORE: The Latest on 2022 Superstar Racing Experience Driver Lineup

Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia, the defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion and six-time South Boston Speedway track champion, will compete in the event as the local driver.

Advance reserved tickets for the June 25 SRX series event at South Boston Speedway are on sale. All grandstand seating is reserved seating for this event. Fans will need to choose their own seats when they purchase tickets.

“This will be one of the biggest events in South Boston Speedway’s history and we expect the event to sell out,” said South Boston Speedway General Manager Chase Brashears. “Fans should purchase their tickets as soon as possible to ensure they get the best selection and ensure they will be able to get a ticket.”

The reserved seats in the top two rows (rows 19 and 20) of the frontstretch grandstand are sold out for the event. Track officials encourage fans to purchase their tickets, whether they be reserved seats or general admission tickets, online on the South Boston Speedway website southbostonspeedway.com. Persons that prefer to purchase tickets via phone can do so at 877-440-1540 or 434-572-4947, although purchasing online is the fastest and easiest way to ensure they get tickets. Track officials note that the easiest way to have tickets delivered is via e-mail.

Tickets in the speedway’s main frontstretch grandstand are priced at $35 each for reserved seats in rows 1-10 and $45 each for reserved seats in rows 11-18.

Trackside tailgating and general admission lawn chair area tickets are $35 each.

There is no child ticket pricing for this special event. Everyone attending the event must purchase a ticket, with the exception of an infant-in-arms that will sit on an individual’s lap.

Persons with ADA needs should purchase a General Admission Lawn Chair ticket. ADA areas are accessible in Turns 3 and 4 or Turns 1 and 2.

Trackside tailgating spaces cannot be purchased for the SRX event. The trackside tailgating spaces are sold on a seasonal basis and are sold out for the 2022 season.

Additional information about South Boston Speedway’s June 25 SRX series event and the latest South Boston Speedway news and information can be found on the speedway’s website, southbostonspeedway.com, or by calling the speedway at 877-440-1540 or 434-572-4947 during normal business hours.

-Story and photo: Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway