On Friday, a large volume of emails, text messages, and documents were disclosed as the antitrust lawsuit between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR advances toward its trial, slated for December 1st. Among the revealed communications, NASCAR commissioner and then-president Steve Phelps expressed strong opposition to the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), referring to it as “this garbage series” and urging to “put a knife” in it after learning that driver Denny Hamlin had committed to participate in the SRX season opener that summer.
At that time, SRX was entering its third season, having moved its broadcasts from CBS Saturday nights to ESPN Thursday nights, a shift that increased current Cup Series driver involvement but drew criticism from NASCAR leadership. SRX was founded by Tony Stewart, Ray Evernham, George Pine, and Sandy Montag, with Evernham leaving after the first season and Donald Hawk stepping in as CEO during 2022 and 2023.
The newly unsealed texts suggest that NASCAR viewed SRX as a competitive threat, particularly due to its use of active NASCAR drivers, which some feared might infringe on NASCAR’s intellectual property. For instance, Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks also joined an SRX race at Stafford Motor Speedway in 2022, prompting concern among NASCAR officials about the series operating within the national stock car racing space.
Internal discussions highlighted frustration over SRX’s growing influence, including worries about rival TV networks broadcasting SRX events, which occasionally outperformed NASCAR’s Xfinity and Trucks series in ratings. The documents also referenced the broader tensions of charter negotiations and the involvement of notable NASCAR figures like Dale Earnhardt Jr. in purchasing the CARS Tour, hinting at a brewing battle for control and influence within the sport.
Additional plans revealed in these documents include NASCAR’s intentions to return to historic tracks like North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray with high-profile events in 2023, 2025, and 2026, further underscoring the battle for fan attention and event prestige. Notably, SRX did not continue beyond its third season in 2024, with its physical assets sold to GMS Race Cars in 2025.
Fan Take: This revelation offers a behind-the-scenes look at NASCAR’s internal struggles to maintain dominance in a shifting racing landscape where new formats like SRX challenge traditional norms. For fans, it underscores how fiercely NASCAR defends its turf and highlights the ongoing evolution and competition within motorsport, which could lead to exciting innovations or contentious battles in the future.
