For the first dirt track race of the season, the team now heads to I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri on Saturday, July 16. Ken Schrader will join Tony Stewart, Marco Andretti, Greg Biffle, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Paul Tracy, Michael Waltrip, Tony Kanaan, Matt Kenseth, Hailie Deegan and Ernie Francis Jr. The action kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.
Hailie Deegan:As the SRX Series makes it way to its first dirt track of the season, Hailie Deegan returns to the field for her second race of the season. Earlier this season, Deegan competed at Stafford Motor Speedway and finished the race in the sixth position. Last season Deegan competed in the dirt race at Knoxville Raceway and finished second to Tony Stewart.
Deegan Quote Post Stafford Motor Speedway: “I had a great time. A great car and we had some fun with it. Made a few passes and it’s tough to pass here. I think just bringing this car back in one piece is going to help the guys over at the shop going to the next race. I feel like it was super competitive tonight. A lot of great drivers out here. When it comes to making moves or people slipping up, it’s definitely far and few. I had a great time and I’m very glad to be back here racing SRX. I’m pretty excited to go to Pevely after this.”
Ernie Francis Jr.: Ernie Francis Jr. adds a third race for the 2022 season and joins the field for this weekend’s race at Knoxville Raceway. Francis Jr. competed earlier this season as Five Flags Speedway where he finished 11th and South Boston Speedway where he finished seventh.
Local Ken Schrader: Owner of I-55 Raceway, Ken Schrader joins the field this week for the fifth race of the 2022 season. Instrumental in the development of the SRX cars, this will mark Schrader’s first official race with the organization.
Points Leader, Bobby Labonte: Following his win at the Nashville Fairgrounds, Bobby Labonte takes over the 2022 SRX points lead with two races remaining in the season. Leading up to his win, Labonte finished fifth at Five Flags Speedway followed by third at South Boston Speedway and fifth at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Starting Lineup for Heat 1 at I-55 Raceway:
| Starting Position | Driver | Car Number |
| 1 | Marco Andretti | 98 |
| 2 | Ken Schrader | 52 |
| 3 | Greg Biffle | 69 |
| 4 | Tony Stewart | 14 |
| 5 | Hailie Deegan | 38 |
| 6 | Tony Kanaan | 6 |
| 7 | Ernie Francis Jr. | 99 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | 5 |
| 9 | Paul Tracy | 3 |
| 10 | Bobby Labonte | 18 |
| 11 | Michael Waltrip | 15 |
| 12 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 1 |
| 13 | Ryan Newman | 39 |
Race Format: This week’s format will consist of two heat races and the main event is scheduled for 75 laps. Marco Andretti will lead the field to green for the first heat with Ken Schrader starting on the outside.
Driver Q&A Sessions: Prior to Saturday’s race at the I-55 Raceway, the full field will participate in a Q&A session from 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. ET. The field will be split in to four groups:
- Group 1: Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Stewart
- Group 2: Michael Waltrip, Paul Tracy, Greg Biffle
- Group 3: Bobby Labonte, Ernie Francis Jr., Ryan Newman
- Group 4: Hailie Deegan, Matt Kenseth, Tony Kanaan, Ken Schrader
Tune-In Information: The fifth race of the 2022 SRX season and first dirt race of the season will take place on Saturday, July 16, live on CBS Primetime, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET. The race will also be streamed live on Paramount+.
SRX PR
