Over the past few months, the Superstar Racing Experience has been assembling a superlative list of tracks and competitors for the third summer of the made-for-tv stock car series.
In December, it was announced that SRX’s six-race calendar would feature visits to Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, Thunder Road Speedbowl in Vermont, Virginia’s Motor Mile Speedway, Berlin Raceway in Michigan, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo.
Along with that, fans were promised that each Thursday night race would be broadcast on ESPN — marking a return to the iconic Thursday Night Thunder branding ESPN used for short-track racing during the late 1980s.
Then, as the new year found its footing, the SRX Twitter feed became a hotbed of activity with driver announcements rolling out weekly, confirming the entry of behind-the-wheel talents from various forms of motorsports for both limited schedules and full seasons of competition.
Though announcements continue to emerge, the following list includes what is confirmed — so far — in regard to what drivers will race what tracks. Each race will feature a 12-car/driver field.
Stafford Motor Speedway — July 13
The field is set for the opening race in Connecticut.
Nearly every driver on the entry list for the half-mile, paved oval is a household name in motorsports. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Hailie Deegan, Bobby Labonte, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman and Brad Keselowski will represent NASCAR.
Meanwhile, former and present Indy car personalities Marco Andretti, Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy and Ryan Hunter-Reay are also scheduled to compete.
SRX owner and full-time contender Tony Stewart is in a category all to himself, as the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and one-time IndyCar champion has been behind the wheel of everything imaginable during his career. He completes the field.
Thunder Road Speedbowl — July 20
Full-time SRX drivers will command the spotlight in Vermont with Stewart, Andretti, Hunter-Reay, Tracy, Newman, Labonte, Deegan and Keselowski set to appear at the legendary quarter-mile, paved short track.
Kanaan is the only part-time driver currently scheduled for Thunder Road.
Three unannounced drivers will complete the field.
Motor Mile Speedway — July 27
A few guests will join the full-timers for Thursday Night Thunder in Virginia, including four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch and two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden.
The remaining lineup at the 0.416-mile track includes Bowyer, Keselowski, Deegan, Labonte, Newman, Tracy, Hunter-Reay, Andretti and Stewart.
The field is set.
Berlin Raceway — August 3
As the series heads north to Michigan for the fourth round on the schedule, Harvick plans to rejoin the group while Castroneves and Busch will stick around for a second consecutive race. The remaining lineup at the paved oval includes Michigan native Keselowski, Deegan, Labonte, Newman, Tracy, Hunter-Reay, Andretti and Stewart.
One unannounced driver will complete the field.
Eldora Speedway — August 10
SRX will make a visit to the half-mile dirt track owned by Stewart for the fifth round in mid-August. It will be the first of two consecutive dirt-track events to conclude the series.
The Ohio lineup includes Kanaan, Keselowski, Deegan, Labonte, Newman, Tracy, Hunter-Reay, Andretti and Stewart.
Three unannounced drivers will complete the field.
Lucas Oil Speedway — August 17
The finale is already stacked with part-time talent, including former NASCAR driver and dirt-track veteran Kenny Wallace, Castroneves and Bowyer.
The loyal full-time drivers will take one last bow at the state-of-the-art three-eighths-mile, dirt oval in Missouri, including Keselowski, Deegan, Labonte, Newman, Tracy, Hunter-Reay, Andretti and Stewart.
One unannounced driver will complete the field.