(Press release from Camping World SRX Series)
New Racing Series Created by The Montag Group, Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart and George Pyne To Debut on CBS Saturday Nights in the Summer of 2021
Series to Feature Legends, Icons, and Rising Stars from All Circuits in Full-Tilt, No Pit-Stop, Short-Track Competitions
CBS Sports and Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), a new sports property created by The Montag Group, NASCAR Hall of Famers Ray Evernham and Tony Stewart, and investor George Pyne have entered into a multi-year partnership to produce a six-race, short-track series that will air Saturday nights in primetime on CBS Television Network and CBS All-Access in the Summer of 2021.
The SRX brings an entirely new entertainment concept to the marketplace – both competitively and commercially. The series features short, sprint races with a total emphasis on head-to-head competition among elite drivers from diverse racing backgrounds. Each race will include a variety of drivers, courses and elements of reality to bring fans new and exciting stories every week across every screen.
The at-track experience will be exceptional, and marketers will have incredible flexibility, unprecedented options for exclusivity, and the ability to integrate end-to-end – broadcast/digital, track and team – efficiently and effectively. The leadership team designed all of this based on decades of experience building best-in-class sports and entertainment properties worldwide.
“We are looking forward to teaming with Superstar Racing Experience to bring this exciting new auto racing series to CBS in primetime,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “This innovative racing series will feature great drivers competing on short tracks and will provide viewers with unique, behind-the-scenes access, bringing fans closer to the action. With the backing from legends in the racing industry, the quality of the drivers and competition, and the atmosphere that short tracks will help to create, the Superstar Racing Experience is a great addition to our live summer sports programming that racing fans will embrace.”
“SRX is a series where the cars will be so evenly matched that talent instead of equipment will win the race,” said Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who also won the 1997 INDYCAR Series title. “The competition will be intense, and thanks to the vision of such strong leaders in the sports and entertainment industry, millions will be able to watch live and in primetime on CBS.”
Said Evernham: “We’ve set this up to bring the focus back to the drivers and their ability to compete head-to-head as opposed to the car deciding who wins. That’s going to create a unique dynamic for fans at the track and everywhere else. Adding superstar-caliber drivers and our unique racing features, you’re going to see all kinds of emotions playing out live. It’s going to be quite exciting and rekindle why a lot of people love short-track racing.”
Legendary and iconic drivers and mechanics from many of the world’s top circuits, including Stewart and Evernham, as well as rising stars, will compete on various short tracks around the country. There will be approximately 90 minutes of racing time within the two-hour television window. Races will have no pit stops but a “halftime” where the drivers and crew chiefs will make adjustments and strategy decisions. The TV production will feature all of the behind-the-scenes and human drama that comes with high-intensity competitions.
Sandy Montag, CEO of The Montag Group: “We are enthused to be involved in creating a dynamic new property that will amplify the sport of auto racing. In partnership with CBS, we look forward to bringing the fans unique content and access, all while creating an exciting and competitive race with the focus 100 percent on the drivers. With an experienced ownership group and one of the most accomplished drivers in the history of the sport, we look forward to redefining short-track racing through this back-to-the-basics racing series.”
Said Pyne, an SRX Board Member and advisor: “Packed tracks, great drivers, under the primetime TV lights – is all pretty exciting stuff. What I especially like about SRX is that it’s an entertainment platform built around the great personalities and drama of racing, and will be produced for the way today’s fan consumes media. And because it’s a ground-up build, the team can be more aggressive and imaginative in the ways it works with partners. That’s why we believe SRX has the potential to become something very special.”
CBS Sports’ broadcast coverage will be available to stream live via the CBS All Access subscription service.
Sounds like a short track IROC.
Could be cool!
The Thompson oval would be a great, historical track for this.
A perfect track for this.
NBC Sports
“Evernham doesn’t expect speeds to exceed 150 mph on half-mile tracks, and he listed Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut, Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, Eldora, Knoxville Raceway in Iowa and Terre Haute Action Track in Indiana as possible venues. Evernham would also like a road course and a modified oval on the schedule.”
Let’s go THOMPSON !!!!!!
They can’t race at Thompson. The asphalt surface is worn out.
Doe’s not sound like it will go anywhere . Just ask Robbie Gordon with his stadium super trucks .
So will this be available on regular TV or only streaming/PPV?
Another IROC. Could be good. Saturday nights during the summer are not great prime tv slots though. Then again, if you start it in July you are only competing against baseball, and of course Nascar. July is a very slow month for stick and ball sports.
Sooner or later some of NASCAR’s 1.5 mile tracks are going to have to reduce the track size or build short tracks outside of the main facility like Vegas. It would solve a lot of the issues Cup has.
Whether it’s these guys or Cup, somebody should be racing at LOR in Indy. That’s a great short track.
Sharpie Fan,
Sounds like both. From the release “a six-race, short-track series that will air Saturday nights in primetime on CBS Television Network and CBS All-Access in the Summer of 2021.”
Thompson has zero chance. These guys are racers. When they see what Thompson ownership has done the discussion is over. Cut purse 75% and down to a handful of races? You have to be kidding me.
Prove me wrong
Stuart I hope your right Thompson doesn’t deserve it and let’s hope Stafford does get a chance to be showcased on national TV , they deserve it
-streaming services are killing prime time sketch TV content. Networks are turning to cheaper reality TV shows to fill the void. This is a reality TV show sounds to me. They’re covering all the behind the scenes action and you can bet like any reality TV show they’re going to want to see some drama.
-ideally it will be simultaneously broadcast and live streamed to cover virtually any devise live and archived via CBS All Access.
-Evernham has a soft spot for Stafford but even they may not make the cut. They’ll be looking for packed stands with high capacity that tracks in the heartland can deliver. Especially Stewart’s own Eldora, capacity 30,000 and they can fill it.
-Limerock for the road course option? What road course has lights for prime time?
-how will they get a packed house? Do they run the local program up to broadcast time. Where’s the local hook? A local hero in the field or perhaps run the track premier division in a short race in prime time.
– 80 to 90 minutes on air is a lot of time. How are they building drama up to the big race with the midway break?
-what kind of dirt/asphalt unicorn will tech wonder Evernham come up with?
It’s the preliminary announcement designed in part to get industry and fan reaction. They’ll massage the final product to get the best reality TV experience they can with the most excitement and drama. It will be completely unique and the purists may not like it at all. If it pulls in a new demographic that may cross over to local tracks who cares.
You can bet NASCAR will be watching very closely.
And Fury will be supplying the chassis.
Great job Fury!!!!!
I’m looking forward to this.