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The recent antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, which concluded with a settlement during the trial, has illuminated internal dynamics within the sanctioning body, including a surprising apprehension towards the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX). Dale Earnhardt Jr., a prominent figure in NASCAR and co-host of the popular "Dale Jr. Download" podcast, voiced his considerable surprise at the extent to which NASCAR executives reportedly felt threatened by the upstart series.
During an episode of his podcast, recorded prior to the lawsuit’s resolution, Earnhardt Jr. and his sister and business partner, Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, delved into the revelations that emerged from the legal proceedings. Court documents and trial testimony indicated that NASCAR leadership viewed SRX with a degree of concern, leading to actions such as "locking down" tracks with comprehensive sanctioning agreements to preempt potential competition.
Earnhardt Jr. candidly admitted his shock at NASCAR’s reaction. "I gotta be honest, this shocked me," he stated on the "Dale Jr. Download." He elaborated on his initial perception of SRX, founded by former NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham. "When he started talking about SRX and what he wanted to do, in his mind, he wanted to re-create IROC," Earnhardt Jr. recalled. "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. The original idea of SRX, in my mind, was a good idea."
However, Earnhardt Jr. also clarified his personal detachment from the series. "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. No offense to anybody out there that was SRX fans or anybody that worked in the series… but I wasn’t into it."
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The core of Earnhardt Jr.’s astonishment stemmed from the perceived imbalance of power. "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," he remarked. He characterized SRX as a financially precarious venture with a small car count, struggling with operational costs. "They were like 12 cars just barely getting by financially. They’re tearing up so much shit, they had no idea they were gonna tear up so much shit. 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."
The trial unearthed specific communications that highlighted NASCAR’s perspective. Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR’s current President, testified about his directive to the legal department to scrutinize the situation. His concern was that SRX, with its inclusion of NASCAR Cup Series drivers and sponsors competing in mid-week short-track and dirt-track events, was beginning to resemble a NASCAR product. However, O’Donnell also acknowledged that legal counsel found no actionable grounds for intervention.
Adding another layer to NASCAR’s apprehension was a comment attributed to Sam Flood, an executive at NBC Sports, the series’ broadcast partner. Flood reportedly contacted NASCAR to question the value of their significant broadcast investment if a comparable racing product could be obtained more affordably through SRX.
Earnhardt Jr. found this line of reasoning difficult to comprehend. "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?" he questioned. "I don’t care [about the ratings], people were gonna be curious… I’m not alarmed by that… I was really surprised by that. I never saw, no disrespect, but I never would’ve worried or considered SRX a problem."
He proposed an alternative approach to how NASCAR might have engaged with SRX’s emergence. "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."
The internal discussions within NASCAR, as revealed by text messages from June 2022, show a direct concern about SRX’s potential to secure popular venues before NASCAR could. Executives, including O’Donnell and Scott Prime (SVP of Strategy), discussed the necessity of NASCAR scheduling races at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Bowman Gray Stadium to preempt SRX.
One exchange read:
O’Donnell: "Wait until (Dale) Jr. says he is running an event. Matter of time. They will go to North Wilkesboro with Jr. if we are not careful. We need to be the first back."
Prime: "Agreed – North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray next year with Jr and friends if we don’t make moves."
O’Donnell: "How about this for All Star – make it a combo – Bowman and Wilkes Fri/Sun"
Prime: "Sick! And flip it for 2024. We’ve got moves to make. Just need to sell them through. Should be a good working session Thursday."
Ultimately, both North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray Stadium were incorporated into the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, with North Wilkesboro returning in 2023 and Bowman Gray slated for 2025. However, Earnhardt Jr. attributed the revival of North Wilkesboro primarily to the efforts of Marcus Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports, and funding from North Carolina’s Build Back Better initiative, rather than proactive NASCAR intervention driven by SRX’s presence.
"Listen, there is a lot of stuff about NASCAR in all of this that I don’t know," Earnhardt Jr. admitted. "I don’t know everything about how they run things, and I certainly didn’t know how they felt about some things, and how these text messages have unveiled some things. But I’ll tell you what I do know, is that North Wilkesboro came back because of Marcus Smith… NASCAR, you know, they didn’t play any role. Now, they have to go, when Marcus comes up and says, ‘Man, I’ve got this track back together, I want to put it on the schedule.’ They’ve gotta go, ‘Okay, good.’"
He further emphasized the grassroots efforts behind North Wilkesboro’s resurgence. "But, look, NASCAR never was going, ‘Guys, we gotta get Wilkesboro going.’ This isn’t a knock to them, you know, this isn’t a knock to them, they shouldn’t take this as an insult, but Wilkesboro is back because of everybody else. The government, our local government, and the town, a lot of volunteers. Fucking, 20 years of volunteers, people just like even keeping the grass mowed for 20 years. All of those reasons, the fact that they kept the track in somewhat reasonable shape, to even be considered to be brought back. Those people should be commended. You know, we can go on about this."
Earnhardt-Miller also highlighted her brother’s role in galvanizing support for the CARS Tour and drawing significant crowds, with an event dubbed "Race Track Revival" attracting 20,000 fans even before NASCAR and SMI finalized their plans for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. While Earnhardt Jr. may demur, his influence and star power were demonstrably instrumental in fostering the renewed interest in the historic track.
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