Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently expressed his shock that NASCAR executives saw the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) as a real competitor. Speaking during a new episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt Jr. reacted to court revelations from the antitrust lawsuit involving NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and others, which exposed NASCAR’s concerns over SRX drawing drivers, sponsors, and tracks away from its operations and the broader Cup Series. The discussion brought new focus to why, despite SRX’s limited scope and resources, NASCAR leadership treated it as a significant threat.
The tension surfaced when court documents and internal messages showed how anxious NASCAR leaders were about SRX’s influence. Earnhardt Jr., recognized as both a NASCAR Hall of Famer and industry spokesman, explained that this response was out of proportion, given the SRX’s minor scale and evident financial struggles. He described how the SRX was conceptualized, its ongoing difficulties, and his reasons for doubting that it ever endangered NASCAR’s business or future.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Shares the Origins and Purpose of SRX
Dale Earnhardt Jr. gave a detailed account of SRX’s founding vision, created by Ray Evernham, who had long wanted to revisit the spirit of the original IROC racing series. Rather than competing with NASCAR’s headline events, SRX aimed to bring renowned drivers and unique personalities into local racing scenes and offer opportunities for local talents.
“When he started talking about SRX and what he wanted to do, in his mind, he wanted to re-create IROC, Earnhardt said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“The initial idea of SRX as a series that would go into these local markets, and you would bring out these retired guys and some unique personalities, different forms of racing, and offer up a car to the local hero.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
Although Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged the concept and respected Evernham’s ambitions, he admitted that he never felt compelled to get involved himself. For him, SRX wasn’t something he followed closely or felt a personal attachment to.
“I will say, though, I wasn’t interested in it, personally. Out of the gate, I just didn’t have the bandwidth to get into it. I wasn’t a fan; I didn’t really watch too much of it, he said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“No offense to anybody out there that was SRX fans or anybody that worked in the series… but I wasn’t into it.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
Unexpected Concerns Inside NASCAR Leadership
Earnhardt’s surprise grew as he reviewed NASCAR’s internal reactions to SRX, which surfaced during the antitrust lawsuit. The evidence showed NASCAR executives worrying that SRX would pull established Cup drivers, important sponsors, and even racetracks away from core events. Earnhardt Jr. found this concern excessive, especially considering SRX’s obvious obstacles.
“To hear that they 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, Earnhardt said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“They were like 12 cars just barely getting by financially.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
He described how SRX’s thin margins and constant repair costs hobbled its progress, leaving little capacity to threaten NASCAR’s dominant position. The series was constantly challenged by accidents and equipment damage, making it impossible to remain sustainable for long.
“They’re tearing up so much shit, they had no idea they were gonna tear up so much shit,he said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“In the end, they couldn’t make the money work.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
According to Earnhardt Jr., even spikes in TV ratings and viewer curiosity were never enough to secure lasting stability or justify a lucrative broadcast deal for SRX.
“SRX went away because it’s expensive to operate and the viewership numbers didn’t justify the TV contract,he said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
When reading exchanges among NASCAR’s top decision-makers, Earnhardt Jr. found it hard to explain how such a minor series could trigger so much defensive talk within a powerhouse like NASCAR.
“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,’ Earnhardt said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
The incident left Earnhardt Jr. openly questioning the basis for this anxiety, asking pointedly, “Why are we worried?”
North Wilkesboro’s Comeback and NASCAR’s Missed Opportunities
Earnhardt Jr. also weighed in on the effort to revive North Wilkesboro Speedway, a historic track that SRX had eyed for its own schedule. He drew a sharp distinction between initiatives led by local leaders and what NASCAR contributed, emphasizing that the track’s revival came through separate efforts outside NASCAR’s central authority.
“I’ll tell you what I do know, is that North Wilkesboro came back because of Marcus Smith, Earnhardt said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“NASCAR, you know, they didn’t play any role.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
He thanked the local government, state funding, and two decades of volunteers for keeping the track alive even in its darkest, dormant years.
“The government, our local government, and the town, a lot of volunteers, he said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“20 years of volunteers, people just like even keeping the grass mowed for 20 years.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
Rather than viewing SRX as a competitor to defeat, Earnhardt Jr. suggested NASCAR might have learned from what smaller, specialized series were accomplishing, and even explored potential cooperation.
“I would’ve looked at what they were doing… why do people like it, and can we work together? he said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
SRX’s Limited Appeal and the Joy of Racing with Family
Earnhardt Jr. pointed out that most top NASCAR drivers who participated in SRX did so out of enthusiasm for the sport and for personal enjoyment, not for significant financial gain or with the intention of leaving NASCAR. Many, including Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Denny Hamlin, were there mainly for the fun, camaraderie, or to share unique track experiences with family.
“Chase goes over there to race with his dad, Earnhardt said.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
“They were getting paid to go out there and do it for a little bit of money.”
– Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR Hall of Famer
This context highlighted how the brief interaction between NASCAR and SRX spoke more to internal anxieties than real business competition. As Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s comments revealed, even large sports organizations like NASCAR can overestimate perceived threats and miss out on collaboration, learning, or simply supporting new ideas in their own racing world.
