Superstar Racing Experience, founded by Tony Stewart and on ESPN, postpones 2024 season

Thursday Night Thunder will not return this summer.

The Superstar Racing Experience, six races that feature the best drivers across various disciplines of motorsports and which are televised on ESPN, announced it is postponing its fourth season. NASCAR legends have been all over it, including its founder and 2021 champion, Tony Stewart.

“It is with deep disappointment that we announce the postponement of SRX’s fourth season,” Superstar Racing Experience posted in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We entered the next phase of our racing series with great anticipation and excitement for what was ahead. Our expectations, however, have been tempered by market factors that have proven too much to overcome.

“Time has run out to put forth the kind of events our fans, partners, drivers and tracks deserve. We’re thankful to each for their commitment, their contributions and their support as we brought a new idea to reality.”

SRX, which moved from CBS to ESPN before last season, pits stars from NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA and other major motorsports organizations against each other.

Ryan Newman, 2008 Daytona 500 winner, won SRX’s championship last season. He came in second place the previous year, losing to former IndyCar Rookie of the Year Marco Andretti. Current NASCAR drivers have competed part-time, including Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch.

SRX averaged 436,000 viewers last season, down 56 percent from just over a million viewers the previous year, which was expected as it moved from network TV to cable.

“The racing industry continues to evolve and we are actively exploring strategic options for the series’ long-term potential. We made this announcement now to allow our partners the time and flexibility to best serve their interest.

“We will provide updates on future plans for SRX when they’re available.”