“So Out of Control…”: Tony Stewart’s “IROC on Steroids” Was Brainchild of Hendrick Motorsports Legend, As Revealed To NASCAR Veteran in 2020

NASCAR saw one of its greatest innovations wrap up things in 2006 – the IROC Series. It left a void that needed filling quickly. Two legends, in the form of Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, decided to fill it – and they did with glowing success.

In 2020, Stewart appeared on the Waltrip Unfiltered Podcast. The podcast came at the right time. There had been news of a new series being considered by Stewart, Evernham, alongside George Pyne, an investor. Wanting to know more, Michael Waltrip asked Stewart to share the story of the upcoming series.

How did Tony Stewart hook up with Evernham & Pyne?

Tony Stewart started by saying, “George Pyne and Ray Evernham are the first contact that I had about it. It was their brainchild and asked if I wanted to be a part of it, and I jumped on the opportunity. Because I missed the IROC Series, I missed what Barb and Jay Signore did for so many years.” 

Stewart had been a big fan of the IROC format. However, for reasons he didn’t share, he missed out on getting on the executive end of the Series. He complimented the Signores’ work, “Bringing in so many different race car drivers from so many different disciplines together, and put them in equal cars and sending them out to race.” 

“So the cool thing is when you get with somebody like George Pyne and you get with Ray Evernham, you’re gonna get something that’s gonna be different. You’re gonna get something that’s outside the box so… we basically created the old IROC Series on steroids,” he explained.

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No one could probably have guessed that this small idea would grow into something so big. This was similar to what fans had seen with the IROC but better.

Why is the SRX different & better than the IROC Series?

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The team was yet to divulge the details about the series. As a matter of fact, they had not yet named the Series Superstar Racing Experience, or SRX, as fans know it today. A curious Waltrip wanted to know more about it, and Stewart happily obliged. “So you’re gonna bring 12 drivers in. But those 12 drivers are also gonna have 12 crew chiefs that are designated just for them,” he told Waltrip. 

He was quick to clarify, “There’s gonna be a limited amount of things that they can change. Because, Michael as you know, if these crew chiefs, if you gave them free rein, this would be so out of control, it wouldn’t even be funny.” That was a major caveat to add to the format. 

Stewart made clear what the Series was all about. “But being able to at least tune these cars according to the driver is more of a fun part. If a guy likes a tighter setup or a tighter-feel car, or if a guy likes a looser-feel car, we’d be able to give him that.”

Since the IROC came to the scene (and left), the SRX has arguably been one of the best innovations of NASCAR. When two great minds like Stewart’s and Evernham’s come together, the result is bound to be brilliant.

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Stewart always ends up following his brilliance with another. It started with his Cup Series magic, and then the Stewart-Haas Racing collab. Finally, the SRX. What next does he have up his sleeve?