SRX Superstar Racing Experience 2023: How to Watch, TV Schedule, Drivers, Tracks, & More

Tony Stewart's all-star racing series makes the move to Thursday nights on ESPN this summer. Here's how to stream with Sling, plus a preview of the participating drivers and tracks.

Summer is here, which means…Superstar Racing Experience is back! Founded in 2020 by three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and three-time NASCAR championship-winning crew chief Ray Evernham, SRX puts motorsports’ top drivers in identical cars across the country’s best short tracks for some good old-fashioned rubbin’ and racin’ under the lights. It doesn’t get much more raw and rural than this!

Following two years on Saturday nights with CBS, SRX is moving to ESPN on Thursday nights, with a revival of the popular "Thursday Night Thunder" moniker from USAC telecasts back in the 1980s and ‘90s. Drivers who will be competing in every race this summer include Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Marco Andretti, Paul Tracy, Ken Schrader, and Hailie Deegan. There will also be special appearances from current drivers across NASCAR, IndyCar, and NHRA, with the likes of Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Josef Newgarden, Daniel Suárez, Tony Kanaan, Hélio Castroneves, and Ron Capps jumping in a car for select races.

The action commences Thursday, July 13 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut, which you can watch live on ESPN with Sling Orange or Sling Orange + Blue.

2023 Superstar Racing Experience Schedule

Watch All Races on ESPN with Sling Orange

SRX has been massively popular with fans and drivers alike, and the new weeknight date allows for more top racers to partake without conflicts to their “day jobs” on the weekends. Here’s a dedicated breakdown of each competitor and what we can expect from the six racetracks on this year’s schedule.

All images belong to Superstar Racing Experience via Twitter.

Meet the Full-Time Drivers

Tony Stewart

Series Co-Founder, 3-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, & 2021 SRX Champion

Tony Stewart has hardly let the foot off the gas since retiring from full-time racing after the 2016 season. When he's not competing for wins in NHRA's Top Alcohol Dragster class or co-running Stewart-Haas Racing in NASCAR, Stewart is constantly talking up SRX in his role as series co-founder, promoter, and racer. 'Smoke' smoked the SRX field in 2021, easily winning the championship in the inaugural season. His four victories over two seasons are the most in SRX history, and he's one of only four drivers to compete in all 12 races since the series began in 2021.

Bobby Labonte

2000 NASCAR Cup Series Champion & 1 SRX Win (Nashville 2022)

Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart were the dynamic duo at Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR Cup Series Racing in the late '90s and early 2000's, so it only makes sense that Labonte would follow Stewart to SRX as a retirement gig. Labonte is one of the most consistent drivers in the field and has finished third in points both years. Look for 2023 to be his breakout season.

Ryan Newman

18 NASCAR Cup Series Wins & 1 SRX Win (Stafford 2022)

'Rocketman', aka Ryan Newman, is returning to SRX for his second full season in 2023. Newman scored a very popular victory at Stafford last year, his first time in any sort of victory lane following a horrific crash at the end of the 2020 Daytona 500. Seeing Newman celebrate with his daughters on the frontstretch in front of a packed grandstand made even the toughest individuals shed a tear.

Marco Andretti

2 IndyCar Series Wins & 2022 SRX Champion

The grandson of motorsport legend Mario Andretti is back to defend his SRX crown. Marco Andretti has run all 12 races in SRX history and has a victory at Slinger Speedway in 2021. Despite going winless in 2022, Andretti was the most consistent driver in the field and won the championship by a mere two points over former Cup driver Ryan Newman. Andretti's looking for the best of his previous two seasons by getting to victory lane and nabbing the championship.

Brad Keselowski

2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion & 2010 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion

Current NASCAR driver and team owner Brad Keselowski has never raced in SRX before, but he's diving headfirst into the deep end with a full-time commitment in 2023 - something that wasn't possible during the previous two seasons when the series ran on Saturday nights. His NASCAR stats are certainly impressive: 2012 Cup Series Champion, 2010 Xfinity Series Champion, and 75 wins across the top three series. Will that success translate to the short tracks of New England and the Midwest?

Hailie Deegan

2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver & ARCA Menards Series West Winner

Will current Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan make a splash in SRX like she did last season? She raised some eyebrows after a run-in with IndyCar veteran Paul Tracy on track and later on social media. Regardless, Deegan's presence in SRX is important and all eyes will be watching. Her background is in off-road and dirt racing, which should give her an advantage on the two non-pavement tracks on the schedule: Eldora and Lucas Oil Speedway.

Ryan Hunter-Reay

2012 IndyCar Series Champion & 2014 Indianapolis 500 Winner

After retiring from full-time IndyCar competition at the end of 2021, Ryan Hunter-Reay has found a new home in American motorsports with SRX. The 14-time IndyCar winner won the first heat at Stafford Motor Speedway last season and looks to improve upon his 7th place points finish.

Paul Tracy

31 CART/Champ Car Wins

If there's one driver in the field that's more concerned about making things interesting rather than winning, it's Paul Tracy. PT had a successful but controversial open-wheel career across IndyCar and CART for the better part of two decades, and that chaos has followed him to SRX. It's unusual if the former IndyCar on NBC commentator doesn't find himself in a dustup during one of the six events, but that's what makes racing exciting! Regardless, Tracy relishes the role as the heel of SRX, a position he finessed for years in American open-wheel racing.

Ken Schrader

4-Time NASCAR Cup Series Winner & Short Track Extraordinaire

Fan-favorite Ken Schrader was a late add to this year's list of full-time drivers, but we're thrilled he's here. Schrader is best known for his nearly 30-year career in NASCAR with 984 starts across the top-three series, including 763 starts and 4 wins in the Cup Series. Schrader drove for some of the most iconic teams in NASCAR including Donlavey Racing, Hendrick Motorsports and the Wood Brothers while also racing for himself in the Xfinity and Truck Series for decades. Outside of stock cars, Schrader has competed in USAC Sprint Car and Silver Crown racing and has probably laid rubber on every short track in the midwest at one point or another (no exaggeration - Schrader is a racer's racer). 2023 will not be Schrader's debut in SRX - he made a one-off start last season at I-55 Raceway (which he owns) and won the first heat. Look for the Fenton, Missouri native to give these young guns a run for their money.

Meet the Part-Time Drivers

Clint Bowyer

10-Time NASCAR Cup Series Winner & 2008 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion

From Feburary until June, former NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer is preoccupied with his duties as a commentator for NASCAR on FOX. But when July hits and NBC takes over, he's free to do whatever he pleases. Bowyer will be running three SRX races for the first time at Stafford, Motor Mile, and Lucas Oil, and if there's a need for a spare commentator, we might see Clint rushing to the booth with a microphone in hand.

Tony Kanaan

2004 IndyCar Series Champion & 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner

Veteran IndyCar driver Tony Kanaan finally hung up the helmet after this year's Indianapolis 500, but he won't be departing SRX anytime soon. TK previously ran four races in 2021 and five races in 2022 with a best finish of fourth at Five Flags Speedway last year. Is this the season Tony finally reaches the podium?

Hélio Castroneves

4-Time Indianapolis 500 Winner

Will "Spider-Man" scale the fence again? Hélio Castroneves scored a very popular victory at the 2022 season-opener in Pensacola, Florida where he promptly hopped out of his car and climbed the fence in front of the grandstands to the roar of the crowd. The Brazilian driver still races full-time in IndyCar for Meyer Shank Racing, so he'll be competing in select races when his schedule allows.

Kevin Harvick

2014 NASCAR Cup Series Champion & 2-Time NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion

Kevin Harvick's making a few stops on his farewell tour during his final season as a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series - specifically at Stafford Motor Speedway on July 13th and Berlin Raceway on August 3rd to race in SRX.

Kyle Busch

2-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion and 2009 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion

Kyle Busch has been riding high in a new ride at Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series this season, with three victories in the first half of the season. For two consecutive weeks on July 27th and August 3rd, Rowdy will be hopping behind the wheel of a SRX racecar and going trophy-hunting in a new series. Should we hand him the checkered flag now or...?

Denny Hamlin

3-Time Daytona 500 Winner

When he's not dropping truth-bombs on his Actions Detrimental podcast or checking on other drivers' SMT data to see if they deliberately wrecked him, Denny Hamlin is a racer at heart. That's why it makes sense for the three-time Daytona 500 winner to make a cameo appearance in SRX at the season-opening Stafford Motor Speedway on July 13th. Beware: if you make contact with Denny, you'll likely be a topic of conversation on his podcast the following week.

Daniel Suárez

2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion & NASCAR Cup Series Winner

Daniel Suárez is the final of five full-time Cup Series drivers making an appearance in SRX this year, the others being Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. Of those drivers, only Keselowski (full-time) will be in the field with him at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Virginia on July 20th when Suárez makes a special appearance.

Greg Biffle

2002 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion & 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion

When Greg Biffle quietly retired from NASCAR Cup Series racing after 2016, few expected the Vancouver, Washington driver to climb behind the wheel of a NASCAR racecar ever again. Not only did 'The Biff' win in a one-off Truck Series start for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2019, but he also returned to the Cup Series temporarily for 5 races in 2022, proving that he's still got it. Biffle ran all 6 SRX events last year with a best finish of 2nd, but he'll only be competing at Vermont's Thunder Road Speedbowl on July 20th this season. We can only hope he's running #69 like he did last year.

Josef Newgarden

2-Time IndyCar Series Champion & 2023 Indianapolis 500 Winner

One of SRX's best gets last season was IndyCar star Josef Newgarden, who returns this year as a newly-crowned Indy 500 champion following his victory on Memorial Day weekend. Newgarden won the first heat in his lone SRX start at Nashville Fairgrounds last year, but was roughed up in the main event and finished mid-pack. In 2023, he's returning for a one-off appearance at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia on July 27th.

Kasey Kahne

18-Time NASCAR Cup Series Winner

Always a fan-favorite in NASCAR, former Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne did not receive the farewell tour he deserved when he was forced to retire unexpectedly during the 2018 season due to health concerns. Since his departure from NASCAR, Kahne has raced on-and-off in sprint cars and is currently running the entire 2023 World of Outlaws Sprint Cars campaign. Kahne's one-off start at Berlin Raceway on August 3rd will be the first time he's back in the spotlight on national television since his final Cup series race at Darlington in September 2018.

Matt Kenseth

2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and 2-Time Daytona 500 Winner

NASCAR Hall of Famer Matt Kenseth has stayed very busy since originally stepping away from full-time Cup racing at the end of 2017: he ran select races with RFK Racing in 2018 and came back for the majority of the 2020 season with Chip Ganassi Racing. After running three races last season in SRX with a best finish of third (twice), Kenseth returns to the dirt at Eldora Speedway on August 10. 2023 has been a big year for the former Cup champion: he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January and was revealed to be one of NASCAR's greatest 75 drivers in May. Can't wait to see Matt the Brat back on track.

Ron Capps

3-Time NHRA Funny Car World Champion

If there's a driver in this year's SRX field that the casual public may not be familiar with, it would be Ron Capps. But don't count out of the three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion just because you haven't heard of him. Capps is a legendary figure in drag racing with 74 career wins and 144 final round appearances - not to mention he's is the defending World Champion in the Funny Car division of the National Hot Rod Association. Basically, he's the real deal, and it's awesome to see him hopping in a SRX car at Eldora on August 10 (on the dirt, no less!). Capps may have some doubters who might not think his straight-line expertise will translate to success on an oval, but we'll wait for his appearance at Eldora before passing any judgment.

Austin Dillon

2018 Daytona 500 Winner, 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, & 2011 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion

Austin Dillon is another full-time Cup Series driver who will be making a one-off appearance in SRX this year, and he'll be joining the crowd at Eldora on the dirt. Dillon's stats make him a future lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame: 2011 Truck Series champion, 2013 Xfinity Series champion, and 2018 Daytona 500 winner are impressive contrary to the naysayers. Dillon made big news in 2014 when he moved to the Cup Series and became the first driver to pilot the #3 car since Dale Earnhardt in 2001, but that's one of the perks when your grandfather Richard Childress is the team owner. Paul Tracy has already claimed #3 in SRX for this season, so what number will Dillon be sporting at Eldora? #33? #03? Something totally out of left field? We'll see...

Ernie Francis Jr.

7-Time Trans-Am Champion & Road Racing Expert

While it's cool that more current NASCAR and IndyCar drivers are flocking to SRX for a chance to win at Thursday Night Thunder, we're starting to see less "guest stars" get behind the wheel in 2023. Example: Trans-Am star Ernie Francis Jr. was one of the most electrifying drivers in the first two seasons of SRX and regularly went toe-to-toe with some of the best in the business (even getting into a scuffle with Tony Stewart at South Boston Speedway last season). Fortunately, Francis will be back behind the wheel at the season finale at Lucas Oil Speedway on August 17th, where he won the feature event in 2021. The good news for Ernie is that his incredible showing in SRX over the years has resulted in new racing opportunities, and he's currently competing full-time in INDY NXT in 2023 with the hopes of making it to IndyCar and the Indy 500 in the future.

Kenny Wallace

9-Time NASCAR Xfinity Series Winner

Rounding out SRX's all-star cast is Kenny Wallace, younger brother of NASCAR Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and multi-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Kenny spent more than 25 years in NASCAR's top three series but earned his success and reputation on dirt tracks all over the United States. Even after stepping away from NASCAR, 'Herm' still regularly competes on the dirt and hasn't let his foot off the gas, already earning multiple victories in 2023. Much like Clint Bowyer, Kenny Wallace is known for his outspoken, loud personality and was a fan-favorite analyst on FOX and SPEED back in the day. He'll be entertaining on the track, but we can't wait for Herm's energetic post-race breakdown of the events from Thunder Road Speedbowl on July 20th and Lucas Oil Speedway on August 17th. Those interviews by themselves are must-see TV.

Stream SRX this summer on ESPN with Sling Orange!

https://main--sling--aemsites.aem.page/aemedge/fragments/try-sling-orange