Last weekend, the Superstar Racing Experience concluded its season at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Chase Elliott won the season finale, and Tony Stewart won the championship in front of a packed crowd. It was the first time Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway sold out since the ’70s.
Once the season was over, and CBS went to another program, it was like closing one chapter of a book and being eager to start the next one. Except we have to wait to begin the next chapter. It felt good knowing that SRX has a bright future. They helped put short-track racing back on primetime. For fans who are subscribers to DIRTVision and Speed 51, they already know the racetracks and have experienced the excitement of short-track racing.
For casual fans, they may have heard of Lucas Oil Raceway and Eldora Speedway. However, SRX introduced them to new short tracks and their rich racing history. The history of these tracks was detailed in the segment pieces that would air before the race.
Not only did you learn about the year they were created, but you learned about the racers that took to the track, what those tracks meant to the community, and what it meant to those that raced those tracks. SRX was like the book cover that draws you in and keeps you glued, anticipating the words on the next page.
As for the drivers, it was great to see the legends of NASCAR, IndyCar, special guest racers, and current racers taking part in these races. SRX did a great job promoting the local track stars like Doug Coby. Many of the casual fans did not know who he was until after the race. Likewise, the younger drivers like Halie Deegan and Ernie Francis Jr. learned a lot from the veterans.
The season had its initial bumps in the road at Stafford Motor Speedway. The newly created rules of the race had to be adjusted in order for the racing to go smoother and flow. SRX listened to the fans, made adjustments, and improved the racing. However, there are still some hiccups that need to be worked on heading into the 2022 season.
One of the significant concerns of the series had to be the fun flag. The fun flag was a caution to bring the field back together. If the series is about the drivers, let them race their way to the front. If the networks need a commercial break, either do a side-by-side picture or have a race break and let the cars get adjusted.
As for the racing, if they stick to the heat races. I would like to see the winner of the first heat race win the pole and the winner of heat two start second. The rest of the field would be set after the second heat race, and the first heat race winner does not have to race in heat two. After the first heat race, I would like to see the drivers get new tires before the second heat race starts.
Even though SRX only had six races, fans already want to see them expand the car count and have twelve races. I don’t know if they are considering these options, but it would be cool to see more SRX racing if they do.
SRX was the talk of the motorsports world for six weeks. The ratings were good, the racing was good, and the drivers were fun to watch and listen to during the telecast. SRX has stamped its place in the motorsports world, and I can’t wait to see the tracks and drivers for the 2022 season.
