For the first time in the Superstar Racing Experience, the series will make a return to a track they competed at during the inaugural season — Stafford Motor Speedway.
The Stafford Springs, Conn., track played host to the first SRX race last year, where six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and local favorite Doug Coby topped the field.
With the series reaching the halfway point on the season Saturday night at the half-mile asphalt track, storylines are aplenty, including new drivers, tempers and potential favorites.
Stewart’s Stern Call Out
Even though Tony Stewart stormed to the victory last Saturday at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, he didn’t leave the track a happy camper. After the race, the defending SRX champion and series co-owner, was critical of the way drivers raced each other during the first two events of the season.
“There’s some habits from other divisions that they run that aren’t acceptable at short track races,” Stewart told Racing America reporter Matt Weaver. “We need to all have that mindset and understand that we’re tearing up stuff that we don’t have a deep enough bullpen of crew guys to fix all these cars and maintain this kind of pace for six weeks.”
After the second heat, Stewart confronted Ernie Francis Jr. due to the way Francis raced him in the preliminary event. Though the feud ended a couple minutes later with a smile and a pat on the back, Stewart’s frustration shouldn’t be taken lightly.
One storyline to look out for the rest of the season is whether or not the drivers respond to Stewart’s call for change.
Four New Drivers Enter The Fold
As drivers slot in and out of cars due to scheduling conflicts, that brings both new faces and familiar ones to the SRX lineup at Stafford.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan returns to the series, as she competes in her first of two events on the SRX schedule. Deegan most notably finished runner-up behind Stewart at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway last season.
Bill Elliott, the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion and father of Chase Elliott, will be back in the saddle this weekend, making his second and final start of the season in the series. Elliott finished ninth in the season opener at Florida’s Five Flags Speedway.
Due to scheduling conflicts with the NTT IndyCar Series, Five Flags winner Helio Castroneves won’t be able to compete this weekend at Stafford. In his place, however, will be Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks. It’ll be the first time Marks has raced an SRX machine. Most notably, Marks earned a NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2016.
The local hero piloting the patriotic-colored car at Stafford will be veteran modified racer Matt Hirschman. The 39-year-old earned his spot in the event by winning this year’s Spring Sizzler at the track. Hirschman’s modified career includes triumphs in five of the last six Richie Evans Memorial races at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
More Experience, Better Chance?
Saturday night’s race at Stafford will have a new dimension of intrigue, with it being the first time the series will see a track for the second year in a row.
Every driver takes physical and mental notes after each trip to a track, so some will potentially have a leg up on the competition.
Drivers that may be the favorites due to experience last year? Biffle (Finished second), Stewart (third) and Bobby Labonte (fifth).
Hirschman may also be a favorite on Saturday, with his extensive experience at Stafford.
Paul Tracy, Michael Waltrip, Marco Andretti and Elliott will all be looking to improve from their first go-around at the track.
Last year, Andretti’s right-front tire went flat with six laps to go, negating him to 10th, two laps down.
Tracy, Waltrip and Elliott all struggled in the event as well, finishing ninth, 11th and 12th, respectively.