NASCAR Hall of Famer’s racing series goes virtual with iRacing collaboration 

NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart's Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) and online racing simulation game iRacing recently announced that they have entered into a long-term collaboration.

iRacing will introduce the SRX car and SRX series on its platform and are preparing to scan the car and collect data for an anticipated release in 2024.

SRX, initiated by a group led by Tony Stewart, presents a distinctive blend of racing legends, current stars, and emerging talents on both paved and dirt short tracks throughout the United States.

SRX made its debut in 2021 with champions including Stewart, Marco Andretti, and Ryan Newman, alongside numerous top stock car, open-wheel, and dirt oval racers who have participated over the past three years.

In 2023, the series joined forces with ESPN to revive the iconic "Thursday Night Thunder" branding, a cornerstone of the network's early motorsports coverage.

Headlined by Tony Stewart, this unique short oval series competes on both dirt and asphalt tracks during prime time on ESPN.

From its very beginning, the series has maintained a presence in the gaming world, releasing SRX: The Game on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. Now, it has reached a major milestone by establishing a partnership with iRacing.

"We are excited for racers around the world to get to experience what we’ve built firsthand": SRX CEO Don Hawk

Notably, several SRX circuits, including Stafford Motor Speedway, Eldora, and Lucas Oil Speedway, are already a part of iRacing. Others like Thunder Road, Motor Mile, and Berlin Raceway haven't been incorporated into the game as of now.

iRacing president Tony Gardner said in the announcement (via iRacing.com):

"We’re excited to welcome SRX into iRacing in a future release, The SRX car has been a big request from our customers, and many of their past and present tracks are already on the service, which will allow for a quick and seamless integration. We’re looking forward to a release sometime next year, and can’t wait for our readers to get their hands on it!”

SRX Chief Executive Officer, Don Hawk added:

"We’ve heard the fans on social media, and we are thrilled that race fans will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an SRX car in iRacing."

"We think that the SRX car, schedule, and race format will produce incredible action in the virtual world as in the real one, and the series should prove to be a popular addition to iRacing in 2024. We are excited for racers around the world to get to experience what we’ve built firsthand in the coming months!"

The assortment of NASCAR racetracks SRX competes on presents an excellent opportunity to leverage iRacing's recent enhancements in dirt and oval racing.

These improvements encompass enhancements to the tire model, surface degradation, and other aspects for both types of racing surfaces. The SRX car appears to be an ideal candidate for testing and benefiting from these advancements.

As the NASCAR Hall of Famer's racing series transitions into the virtual domain, it opens up new opportunities for motorsports enthusiasts.