“When we test them the day before the race, we want those cars within two-tenths of a second or less of each other,” he said. “Then, the driver decides who’s the best. That’s kind of what IROC did. They made the cars as equal as humanly possible and then the steering-wheel bender is the guy or gal that makes the difference. So, the main thing about us is we’re racing, but we’re part entertainment and we’re going to keep it that way.”
That includes finding ways to create restarts if the field gets spread out.
“Who doesn’t love a restart?” Hawk said. “I don’t care what form of racing you’re in, restarts put everybody on their feet. If you’re at a sold-out short track and you restart 12 of the best drivers in the United States, everybody’s standing, and on television, everybody’s watching. There’s nobody gone to the bathroom, nobody gone for pop.”
From a driver’s perspective, the balance of racing and fun is part of the appeal. And just like any good TV show or short track, there is a black hat among the characters, something Paul Tracy is willing to be.
Tracy scored 31 wins during his Indy car career and claimed the 2003 CART series title, all while earning a reputation as one of the most talented, yet daring and outspoken drivers in the history of open-wheel racing. He had always wanted to compete in IROC but never got the opportunity. Thus, he jumped at SRX when Evernham gave him the chance.
“When it comes down to it, once you put the helmet on and you put the shoes back on and you get in the race car, it’s not fun and games out there,” Tracy said. “Our competitive juices get flowing again and it gets competitive really quick.
“It is fun and we’re all having a good time, but there are some guys that get angry after the races and get pissed off at each other.”
Indeed there have been a series of post-race dustups involving multiple drivers, with the inherent drama of close-contact short-track racing also making for good television.
Yet, although the drivers have reached massive heights in auto racing, the SRX roster features the camaraderie of a local short track.
“The coolest thing about it is just getting to know these guys,” Tracy said. “You just hang out with these guys; you get to know them, and you just have a ton of respect for them. The best thing about it is we’ve all become good friends.”
Tracy also knows the influx of full-time drivers will pose an even bigger challenge for him, both since he has been retired for more than a decade and nearly the entirety of his career was spent in Indy-style cars. Still, he sees the move to Thursdays as a positive.
“They’re the best of the best right now, so it’s certainly not going to make it any easier for a guy like me who’s been retired almost 15 years now,” he said. “But it’s grown hugely in popularity and the guys who come in and do it just love driving the cars. It’s a lot of fun and they want to be a part of it.”
For Bestwick, who has spent 40 years calling races, SRX represents a unique corner of the motorsports landscape.
“There are a lot of things you can do that are a grind, this is not one of those,” he said. “This is six weeks of hanging out with good people and having a good time, and we have a terrific television crew. It’s not a grind, it’s a smile tour.”
2023 SRX Schedule
July 13 — Stafford Motor Speedway (Conn.)
July 20 — Thunder Road International Speedbowl (Vt.)
July 27 — Pulaski County Motorsports Park (Va.)
Aug. 3 — Berlin Raceway (Mich.)
Aug. 10 — Eldora Speedway (Ohio)
Aug. 17 — Lucas Oil Speedway (Mo.)
This story appeared in the June 28, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
