Tony Stewart‘s Superstar Racing Experience project just gained some Aussie grit. On Wednesday, SRX announced nine-time Formula One Grand Prix winner-turned-commentator Mark Webber will make the jump to American stock cars and compete in the new series in 2021.
Webber, who raced in F1 from 2002 to 2013 with Minardi, Jaguar, Williams, and Red Bull Racing, won nine races in his career and finished third in the standings in three of his final four seasons. After exiting F1, he migrated to sports cars with Porsche, with whom he won the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP1 title. He formally retired from motorsport after 2016 and currently works as an F1 analyst for Channel 4.
The Australian is confirmed driver #7, meaning five more names will be revealed in the coming months to meet the expected twelve-driver grid. Although Webber is the only driver of the seven with Grand Prix experience, he joins founder Stewart, IndyCar Series veterans Hélio Castroneves, Paul Tracy, and Tony Kanaan as those with open-wheel experience, while he and Willy T. Ribbs both have spent time in sports cars; Ribbs has also tested an F1 machine. NASCAR‘s Bobby Labonte has competed on various European circuits that F1 has traveled to during his time in the Whelen Euro Series.
Tracy described the announcement as “massive” on Instagram, prompting Webber to quip about having to turn left in a reply. Former NASCAR and IndyCar announcer Allen Bestwick praised the addition as a “Super great get!”, while Webber commented, “Can we fast forward to 2021??!!”
