The 2021 Camping World SRX Series was the inaugural season of the Superstar Racing Experience. The six-race season started at Stafford Motor Speedway on June 12 and ended at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway on July 17, with Tony Stewart being crowned the inaugural series champion.
Drivers Full-time drivers Driver Primary series Accomplishments Ref 2 Ernie Francis Jr. Trans-Am Series Seven-time consecutive Trans-Am Series champion (2014 through 2020) 3 Hélio Castroneves IndyCar Series 2001, 2002, 2009, and 2021 Indianapolis 500 winner2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship champion2021 24 Hours of Daytona winner 9 Bill Elliott NASCAR Cup Series 1985 and 1987 Daytona 500 winner1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion 13 Paul Tracy IndyCar Series 1990 American Racing Series champion2003 Champ Car World Series champion 14 Tony Stewart NASCAR Cup Series 1996–97 IndyCar Series champion2002, 2005, and 2011 NASCAR Cup Series champion 15 Michael Waltrip NASCAR Cup Series 1983 NASCAR Darlington Dash Series champion2001 and 2003 Daytona 500 winner 17 Willy T. Ribbs Trans-Am Series 1977 Dunlop/Autosport Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford 1600 champion17-time Trans-Am Series race winner 18 Bobby Labonte NASCAR Cup Series 1991 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion 98 Marco Andretti IndyCar Series 2003 Barber Formula Dodge Eastern class champion2004 Barber Formula Dodge Barber National class and Southern class championTwo-time IndyCar race winner
Part-time drivers Driver Primary series Track Accomplishments 00 Scott Bloomquist Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Knoxville Raceway 94 Lucas Oil Late Model and 33 World of Outlaws wins 1 Hailie Deegan NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Knoxville Raceway, Slinger Speedway,Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway 2020 ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year First female winner in the ARCA Menards Series West 41 Scott Speed Rallycross Eldora Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway Three-time Global Rallycross champion 2019 Americas Rallycross champion 48 Tony Kanaan IndyCar Series Stafford Speedway, Eldora Speedway,Lucas Oil Raceway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway 2004 IndyCar Series champion 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner 69 Greg Biffle NASCAR Cup Series Stafford Speedway, Slinger Speedway 56 NASCAR national series wins 2000 NASCAR Truck Series champion 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion Sources:
Guest drivers Driver Track Accomplishments 4 Luke Fenhaus Slinger Speedway 2021 Slinger Nationals winner 10 Doug Coby Stafford Motor Speedway Six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion 21 Brian Brown Knoxville Raceway Four-time track champion 22 Bobby Santos III Lucas Oil Raceway USAC race winner and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion 63 Kody Swanson Eldora Speedway Five-time USAC Silver Crown winner 94 Chase Elliott Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver (2018–2024)Source:
Notes Nine-time Formula One race winner and 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship champion Mark Webber was initially announced as a full-time driver, but travel restrictions and schedule changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic forced those plans to be cancelled. Tony Kanaan was initially supposed to run all six races. However, due to scheduling conflicts with the 2021 Stock Car Brasil Championship, he did not participate in the races at Knoxville and Slinger and was replaced by Hailie Deegan in both of those races.
Schedule Stewart's track Eldora Speedway was the first venue to be revealed, on November 13, 2020. Two more tracks were announced in December, with Lucas Oil Raceway in suburban Indianapolis on December 9 and Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut on December 19. The full schedule was released on January 4, 2021.
No.TrackLocationTypeDateTVRatings (Mil)1Stafford Motor SpeedwayStafford Springs, Connecticut0.5 mile, pavedJune 12CBS1.302Knoxville RacewayKnoxville, Iowa0.5 mile, dirtJune 19CBS1.233Eldora SpeedwayNew Weston, Ohio0.5 mile, dirtJune 26CBS1.374Lucas Oil RacewayBrownsburg, Indiana0.686 mile, pavedJuly 3CBS1.075Slinger SpeedwaySlinger, Wisconsin0.25 mile, pavedJuly 10CBS1.286Nashville Fairgrounds SpeedwayNashville, Tennessee0.596 mile, pavedJuly 17CBS1.27
Broadcasting All six races were broadcast live by CBS in the United States and were also streamed on Paramount+. The broadcast team consisted of former NASCAR on NBC and NASCAR on ESPN play-by-play Allen Bestwick along with a rotating color commentator (Dario Franchitti (1 race), James Hinchcliffe (3 races) and Danica Patrick (2 races) in the booth. Former ESPN and NBC studio analyst Brad Daugherty and former NASCAR on Fox pit reporter Matt Yocum were the two pit reporters. Former NASCAR on TNT pit reporter and NASCAR Race Hub studio host Lindsay Czarniak was the host.
Season summary All events consist of two heat races, with the lineup for Heat 1 being determined by a random draw. The results of Heat 1 are inverted to determine the lineup for Heat 2. At Stafford, the heat races were 15 minutes each, but were shortened to 12 minutes for Knoxville onwards. The results of the second heat determined the lineup for the feature race at Stafford; the average finish of both heats was used from Knoxville onwards.
At Stafford, the feature race had a duration of 100 laps, including caution period laps, with unlimited attempts at a green–white–checker finish. For Knoxville and Eldora, the duration was changed from 100 laps to 50 green-flag-only laps. Lucas Oil had a 76-lap feature, with Slinger showcasing a 150-lap main event and Nashville's feature lasting 77 laps.
Stafford Motor Speedway Greg Biffle won the pole for Heat 1 based on a random draw. He held on to win the heat over Bobby Labonte at the end of the 15-minute time limit, leading all 36 laps. The field was inverted for the second 15-minute heat, with Doug Coby passing Michael Waltrip for the win with two to go. Coby, a real estate agent who participates in Modified races in the Northeast, then led 84 laps of the 100-lap feature, winning the event ahead of Biffle and Tony Stewart.
Heat 1 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 69 Greg Biffle2 18 Bobby Labonte3 3 Hélio Castroneves4 2 Ernie Francis Jr.5 48 Tony Kanaan
Heat 2 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 10 Doug Coby2 15 Michael Waltrip3 14 Tony Stewart4 9 Bill Elliott5 2 Ernie Francis Jr.
Feature Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 10 Doug Coby2 69 Greg Biffle3 14 Tony Stewart4 3 Hélio Castroneves5 18 Bobby Labonte
Knoxville Raceway Tony Stewart started on pole for heat 1 and led for the entire 12-minute session, which consisted of 23 laps. Michael Waltrip and Willy T. Ribbs started up front for the second heat. Hélio Castroneves passed for the lead early and led until three minutes left, getting passed by Scott Bloomquist on a restart. The heat was extended due to a green-white-checker finish after Paul Tracy spun and hit the wall with 40 seconds left; Bloomquist went on to win. Stewart started on the pole for the 50-lap feature, based on average finishing positions from the two heats. Paul Tracy fell out early after overheating, and several cautions flew for spins during the first quarter of the race. Waltrip passed Stewart for the lead on lap 14; Stewart regained the lead on lap 21. Bloomquist was spun by Castroneves on lap 33, bringing out another caution; Bill Elliott stalled on track during the caution and was pushed to pit road, falling eleven laps behind. Stewart held off Hailie Deegan and Ernie Francis Jr. to win.
Heat 1 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 14 Tony Stewart2 98 Marco Andretti3 1 Hailie Deegan4 2 Ernie Francis Jr.5 13 Paul Tracy
Heat 2 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 00 Scott Bloomquist2 2 Ernie Francis Jr.3 15 Michael Waltrip4 14 Tony Stewart5 1 Hailie Deegan
Feature Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 14 Tony Stewart2 1 Hailie Deegan3 2 Ernie Francis Jr.4 3 Hélio Castroneves5 15 Michael Waltrip
Eldora Speedway Tony Kanaan started at the front for the first 12-minute heat and led for the first four minutes before being passed by Tony Stewart, who went on to win the heat after holding off a late challenge from Hélio Castroneves. The second heat was marred by accidents and completed only 11 green-flag laps before the time limit. Willy T. Ribbs began up front following the field inversion, leading the first three laps. While battling for second Ernie Francis Jr. spun Kanaan, also collecting Michael Waltrip and Kody Swanson and causing Stewart to spin. Francis, Waltrip, and Swanson all failed to finish the heat. The race restarted with six minutes remaining, with Marco Andretti battling Scott Speed for the lead. Ribbs spun Paul Tracy on the backstretch, collecting himself, Kanaan, and Stewart. Speed and Andretti continued to battle on the ensuing restart with two minutes left; Andretti went on to win ahead of Tracy and Stewart, both of whom recovered from earlier spins.
Stewart started on pole for the feature but elected to drop to the back during the pace laps. Second-place starter Paul Tracy led the first 25 laps of the 50-lap race. Two cautions flew in the first half of the race, including one for a spinning Tony Kanaan. Kody Swanson took over the lead on lap 26 until the third caution on lap 34. Tracy retook the lead on the restart and led two laps before relinquishing the top spot back to Swanson. Stewart took the lead on lap 44, and on lap 46 third-place Bobby Labonte was spun by Tracy in turn one, collecting Marco Andretti and Bill Elliott. Labonte and Elliott failed to finish the race. Stewart and Swanson battled on a restart with five laps left, with Stewart ultimately winning the feature.
Heat 1 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 14 Tony Stewart2 3 Hélio Castroneves3 13 Paul Tracy4 98 Marco Andretti5 18 Bobby Labonte
Heat 2 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 98 Marco Andretti2 13 Paul Tracy3 14 Tony Stewart4 41 Scott Speed5 18 Bobby Labonte
Feature Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 14 Tony Stewart2 63 Kody Swanson3 3 Hélio Castroneves4 98 Marco Andretti5 13 Paul Tracy
Lucas Oil Raceway Scott Speed started on pole for the first heat alongside Michael Waltrip. Speed went on to win after leading the entire heat. Willy T. Ribbs started up front for the second heat, but Paul Tracy took the lead at the start, leading for the first two minutes. Hélio Castroneves passed for the top spot and led the remainder of the heat, followed by Bobby Labonte, who passed Tony Stewart with two laps to go.
Unlike the previous two races with 50-lap features during which caution laps did not count, the feature at Lucas Oil was 76 laps, with caution laps counting except during the final six laps. Stewart started on the pole but was passed by Speed on lap 2. Ernie Francis Jr. passed Stewart for second and took over the lead from Speed on lap 13. The first caution flew on lap 27 due to the series' "green flag lap limit". After the restart on lap 34, Francis quickly pulled away from Speed, the pair leading the way until another caution flew at lap 49. Francis retained the lead on the lap 55 restart, ahead of Speed, Labonte, and Castroneves. The third caution flew on lap 67, and Speed took over the lead on the restart. With seven laps to go, Tony Kanaan spun on the backstretch, resulting in a fourth caution. Francis and Speed battled side by side for three laps before Speed slid into the wall. With two laps remaining, Tracy was spun by Bobby Santos III in turn 2 and Speed was spun into the wall by Castroneves in turn 3 in retaliation for contact the lap before. On the first green-white-checker attempt, Francis cleared Labonte and went on to win.
Heat 1 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 41 Scott Speed2 48 Tony Kanaan3 15 Michael Waltrip4 14 Tony Stewart5 22 Bobby Santos III
Heat 2 Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 3 Hélio Castroneves2 18 Bobby Labonte3 14 Tony Stewart4 2 Ernie Francis Jr.5 98 Marco Andretti
Feature Top 5 Results: Pos Driver1 2 Ernie Francis Jr.2 18 Bobby Labonte3 41 Scott Speed4 98 Marco Andretti5 22 Bobby Santos III
Slinger Speedway