Engines will be roaring at the Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway in Pevely for a new event later this month.
The 1/3-mile long, high-banked dirt oval track at 1540 Herky Horine Road, co-owned by Ray Marler and NASCAR legend Kenny Schrader, is slated to host the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) on July 16.
“We’re really excited they’re coming in,” Pevely Mayor Stephanie Haas said. “(The SRX series) is only six races and we’re lucky to be picked.”
A 12-racer lineup featuring SRX co-founder Tony Stewart, several current and former NASCAR and IndyCar drivers, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Hailie Deegan and NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023 inductee Matt Kenseth will take the track.
Schrader will make his SRX racing debut as the track’s local racer. He competed in 984 NASCAR racing events from 1984-2013, earning seven wins across three events.
“He is fantastic,” Marler said. “Most of these guys are not familiar with dirt (but) Kenny is and Tony Stewart is, so I don’t know if that’ll give them an advantage over the others or not.”
Marler said the connections he and Schrader have with Stewart, an SRX co-founder, along with the track’s reputation, are the main reasons the I-55 Raceway was chosen to host one of the series’ events.
SRX also will visit Five Flags Speedway, South Boston Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Sharon Speedway. Each race takes place on a Saturday night and will be broadcast on CBS at 7 p.m.
The I-55 Raceway is the fifth venue of the six-race series, and it’s the lone site for the series west of the Mississippi. It is also just one of two dirt tracks drivers will face.
“(These races) are good for the sport and good for the people who live around the area,” Marler said. “They don’t have to go as far to see some of them.”
SRX debuted in 2021 and was founded by NASCAR Hall of Famers Stewart, Ray Evernham and investor George Pyne. The format includes two 15-minute heat races, which determine the starting position for a 100-lap race. Drivers earn points from both the heats and the 100-lap race that will count toward their season-ending championship.
Alongside the SRX events, the I-55 Raceway will host a DIRTcar Modified race the same evening.
“If we can put on a good show, and we’re gonna do our best to do it, it’ll get us known all over the country,” Marler said.
Registration, pit gates and ticket offices will open at noon on race day. Grandstands open at 2 p.m., which is followed by SRX practice at 3:30 p.m., and the DIRTcar Modified practice and qualifying shortly after.
The SRX racing events will commence at 7 p.m. while the DIRTcar Modified racing will conclude the day’s festivities at 9 p.m.
Marler said there will be at least 7,000 seats available for the event, but that number is decreasing with each passing day.
Advance tickets are available for a reduced cost – reserved tickets for $40, general admission $35 and general admission for children 12 and younger $15 at federatedautopartsraceway.com.
At the door, reserved tickets will cost $45, general admission $40 and general admission for children $20. ADA general admission seating is available outside turns 3/4 and between grandstand sections.
