Despite recent success, Tony Stewart’s SRX Racing to postpone 4th season due to “market factors that have proven too much to overcome”

In an unforeseen move, Tony Stewart's SRX Racing is hitting the brakes on its highly anticipated fourth season in 2024.

The Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) Series, owned by NASCAR legend Tony Stewart, kicked off in 2021 with a six-race format. Stewart won two races in the series' first edition, clinching the inaugural drivers' championship.

Marco Andretti won the following season in 2022, whereas Ryan Newman clinched the last season after finishing fourth at the Lucas Oil Speedway in the season finale. The last season saw a commendable increase in the series' popularity.

However, fans were hit with the unfortunate news relating to the immediate future of the series on Thursday, January 11th. In an official statement, the Tony Stewart-owned stock car racing series has confirmed its postponement citing market factors as the primary reason for the decision. The statement read:"

"It is with deep disappointment that we announce the postponement of SRX's fourth season. We entered the next phase of our racing series with great anticipation and excitement for what was ahead. Our expectations, however, have been tempered by market factors that have proven too much to overcome."

"Time has run out to put forth the kind of events our fans, partners, drivers and tracks deserve. We're thankful to each for their commitment, their contributions and their support as we brought a new idea to reality."

Tony Stewart's racing series "exploring strategic options"

The SRX statement highlighted that the series is actively exploring strategic options for its long-term potential, as it read:

"The racing industry continues to evolve and we are actively exploring strategic options for the series' long-term potential. We made this announcement now to allow our partners the time and flexibility to best serve their interests. We will provide updates on future plans for SRX when they're available."

The 2023 season saw notable changes for SRX, including a shift from Saturday night races to Thursday night broadcasts on ESPN during the six-week summer series. The broadcast channel reflected on the cancellation of the 2024 season of the series, as a statement by ESPN via Bob Pockrass read:

"We enjoyed our relationship with SRX and wish them all the best."

With SRX Racing ending abruptly, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the Tony Stewart-owned series.