The first two confirmed drivers in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) share two common traits: they are IndyCar Series champions and are named Tony. On Wednesday, SRX confirmed longtime IndyCar veteran Tony Kanaan will join the series as a driver, making him the second confirmed name in the field after founder Tony Stewart.
On Twitter, Kanaan posted, “Excited to announce that I will be racing in the first @SRXracing series next summer on @CBSSports ! Are you ready, @TonyStewart?”
The Brazilian is currently in his final regular season of IndyCar racing, racing the oval tracks for A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Although he will step away from the series after 2020, he is not ruling out one-off runs in events like the Indianapolis 500. The 2004 champion finished eighteenth and eleventh in the series’ Iowa 250s doubleheader last weekend. He has sixteen career IndyCar Series victories, including the 2013 500.
SRX, formed by Stewart and legendary NASCAR crew chief Ray Evernham in early July, plans to be a spec racing series that will kick off in summer 2021 with a six-round schedule. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Stewart’s stint in IndyCar did not overlap with Kanaan’s, with Stewart’s final open-wheel start at the 2001 Indianapolis 500 coming while Kanaan was competing in CART.
Further drivers will be announced at a later time, but the series revealed on Twitter that three others have already been locked into a grid spot. One tweet features emojis of the American, Canadian, and Brazilian flags, with Kanaan obviously representing the third.
SRX intends to have up to twelve drivers per race. Events will be broadcast on CBS Sports.
