In its inaugural season in 2021, the Superstar Racing Experience drew heavily from past and present IndyCar stars in creating its roster of drivers. That continues in 2022, as several new faces and returning favorite comprise the half-dozen IndyCar drivers that will be featured in SRX this season.
In a report by Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press, it was revealed that six IndyCar drivers will be entering SRX this coming season. 2012 IndyCar champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay has committed to run the full season, joining returning drivers Paul Tracy and Marco Andretti in doing so. Tony Kanaan will return for every race except Stafford Motor Speedway, and Helio Castroneves will run three races: Stafford, South Boston, and the Nashville Fairgrounds.
The Nashville Fairgrounds race will also be run by Josef Newgarden, a two-time IndyCar champion and one of the sport’s biggest modern-day stars. Newgarden, a Nashville native, was granted permission to run his hometown’s SRX race by car owner Roger Penske.
“I see a huge value in signing IndyCar drivers, past and present,” SRX CEO Don Hawk told the Associated Press. “They’re a complement to SRX as they bring superstar talent and passions to fans of all kinds of racing.”
Another returnee to the SRX driver lineup will be Ernie Francis Jr., who will race at Five Flags Speedway and South Boston while competing full-time in Indy Lights. In addition, Hawk also revealed that SRX is exploring the possibility of adding IMSA driver Robert Wickens to the field. Wickens was paralyzed as the result of a spinal cord injury suffered in a crash during a 2018 IndyCar race, but recently returned to full-time racing in sports cars equipped with hand controls.
As of late February, no NASCAR drivers have currently been announced for this year’s 2022 SRX season. On the local all-star front, Stafford Motor Speedway recently announced that the winner of the track’s famed Spring Sizzler will earn a ride for the track’s SRX race.
SRX’s second season, made up of six races, starts June 18 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla, and you can catch all of the action on CBS.
