The Skip Barber Racing School has acquired the assets of the Superstar Racing Experience.
SRX was set to conduct its fourth season in 2024, and second on ESPN, before suddenly announcing that it had shuttered all operations in January. The series, which was founded by NASCAR Hall of Famers Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham alongside veteran motorsports executive George Pyne and entertainment agent Sandy Montag, brought to life a series best described as IROC with a short track twist.
The first two seasons aired on CBS and its champions were Stewart, Marco Andretti and Ryan Newman, whom defeated a cast of legends from multiple categories and present stardom.
Read more: The nine top moments from the 2023 SRX season
Overall, SRX ran into financial headwinds that did not make a fourth season tenable under the current ownership and format. Evernham left after the first season, citing creative differences, which led to the addition veteran racing everyman Donald Hawk to join as CEO.
In addition to acquiring the assets of SRX, the Skip Barber Racing School also added Hawk as chief strategy officer.
There are no concrete plans for a fourth season of SRX, but Skip Barber is working towards having a race of some kind. Skip Barber was an investor in the inaugural seasons and also served as the company’s logistics partner.
It currently operates racing schools and safe driving academies at nine different venues across the country. It is one of the primary road racing training programs in the world and lists Sergio Perez, Josef Newgarden, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as alumni.
“This is an exciting time for the entire SBRS team,” Dan DeMonte, Chief Marketing Officer said. “We take great pride in providing valuable and exciting events to the motorsports community and now have the opportunity to continue that with the SRX series.”
Hawk has served in a variety of competition, creative and financial roles across motorsports and is lending that experience to all sectors of Skip Barber business.
“For years I watched the Skip Barber Racing School and its graduates as well as those that just stopped in for a refresher course in road racing, now I have the opportunity to join the senior management team of Anthony DeMonte, Dan DeMonte and Joe Monitto at the Skip Barber Racing School where we will bring SRX back to its fans and tracks while also helping them with the overall vision and business across the USA and beyond,” Hawk said.
“Over the years I’ve worked with many great families for which I’m very grateful. That’s part of what intrigued me here, the opportunity to work with Anthony and Dan to help execute a plan for the long-term future with SBRS, SRX and so many other projects under this umbrella.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.