Dale Earnhardt Jr., a prominent figure in stock car racing, expressed shock and disbelief at NASCAR’s unease regarding the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). The initial concept of SRX, a series founded by Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, was to bring excitement by featuring retired racers and unique personalities in local markets, yet Earnhardt did not see it as a credible threat to NASCAR’s dominance.
SRX launched in June 2021, aiming to recapture the spirit of IROC for a new audience. As the series developed, Earnhardt watched with interest from afar but did not become personally involved in the competition.
“I gotta be honest, this shocked me,”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, referring to NASCAR’s reaction. He continued by explaining his admiration for SRX’s founders and the original vision for the series, while also sharing his view that SRX was never on his radar as a personal interest or a threat. He noted that the concept of bringing retired drivers and allowing local heroes to race was solid, but he simply “didn’t have the bandwidth” to get involved or become a regular viewer, and expressed that there was no ill will toward fans or participants.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver and commentator
Revelations from the 23XI and FRM Antitrust Lawsuit
The landscape changed when legal proceedings shone a spotlight on concerns within NASCAR’s top ranks. Prior to the start of the antitrust lawsuit trial involving 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR, exchanged text messages among executives were revealed. These messages exposed how uneasy NASCAR was about SRX, particularly about active drivers or owners joining the start-up series.
One anonymous owner stated,
“Oh great, another owner racing in SRX,”
in a redacted text message thread. In response, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell replied,
“Pure and simple. Enough. We need legal to take a shot at this.”
NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps also participated, stating,
“These guys are just plain stupid,”
and suggested,
“Need to put a knife in this trash series.”
These exchanges indicated the tension between the two organizations at the executive level.
Under questioning by 23XI and FRM’s attorney Jeffrey Kessler, O’Donnell testified,
“I was concerned with what was happening on the racetrack.”
Financial Strain and the Fate of SRX
Dale Earnhardt Jr. attributes SRX’s demise to financial impracticality rather than the threat it posed to NASCAR. He pointed out SRX consisted of a small fleet, never more than about a dozen cars, and struggled with operational costs exceeding revenues. Eventually, the lack of viewership and resulting lackluster TV deals led to its shuttering.
“To hear that they [NASCAR] were even remotely the least bit threatened is so surprising to me because they’re this giant that’s NASCAR and SRX is just this little thing. They were like 12 cars just barely getting by financially… In the end, they couldn’t make the money work. SRX went away because it’s expensive to operate and the viewership numbers didn’t justify the TV contract and the TV contract couldn’t afford the series, so it just financially didn’t really work.”
— Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver and commentator
How NASCAR Leaders Saw the SRX Threat
Text message evidence presented during the court case included a screenshot of a fan comparing SRX’s resemblance to NASCAR with how LIV Golf challenged the established PGA Tour. O’Donnell admitted during his testimony,
“I thought this looked more and more like NASCAR.”
He and Phelps were clearly concerned about parallels being drawn between the revised format of SRX and NASCAR’s Cup Series.
NASCAR drivers—including Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and even 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin—competed in SRX until the series folded. Their participation may have fueled concerns among NASCAR executives about SRX’s increasing similarity to their own races.
Earnhardt’s Perspective on NASCAR’s Reaction
Earnhardt repeatedly emphasized his lack of concern over the emergence of SRX, even as some of NASCAR’s leadership sought to curtail its influence.
“I am surprised by the some of the comments I read from O’Donnell and a couple people of, ‘Man we gotta put an end to this or we gotta go take a look at this.’ Why are we worried? I don’t care [about the ratings], people were gonna be curious. … I’m not alarmed by that. … I was really surprised by that,”
Earnhardt said.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver and commentator
He argued that instead of treating SRX as adversarial, NASCAR could have examined which elements fans found engaging, and considered collaboration or learning opportunities.
“I would’ve looked at what they were doing… why do people like it and can we work together? It was interesting because it did morph. You had drivers like Denny, Chase, and Blaney, but Chase goes over there to race with his dad, have a little fun. Blaney with his dad. They were getting paid to go out there and do it for a little bit of money.”
— Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver and commentator
NASCAR’s Defensive Measures
When SRX attempted to run a race at a Speedway Motorsports track, NASCAR blocked it by enforcing an exclusivity clause. O’Donnell justified this move by explaining,
“we were in a major negotiation”
for a new media rights deal and
“we wanted to retain as much revenue as possible for the teams,”
according to a report from The Athletic. This underlined the primary business concerns NASCAR held regarding its competition and media landscape.
Looking Ahead: Impact and Reflection
SRX’s short-lived run has highlighted the response of major sports organizations like NASCAR when faced with innovative competitors, even those with significantly fewer resources. The contentiousness revealed in courtroom testimony and private executive communications speaks to deeper anxieties about market share and control in motorsports.
For Earnhardt, NASCAR’s reaction was unexpected given the organization’s position as the industry leader. While NASCAR managed to outlast SRX financially and operationally, the episode has sparked further conversation about how the sport’s top brass approaches both competition and new ideas within the racing world.
