The SRX Report: I-55

Images via Wayne Riegle/Superstar Racing Experience

The penultimate round of the second Superstar Racing Experience season took the series to Pevely, Missouri’s Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, and brought with it one of the biggest shakeups of the season. A week off of his first feature win in Nashville, Bobby Labonte found himself a part of the final wreck of the night and outside of the top 10, while Tony Stewart extended his perfect record on the dirt in the six-week all-star series and Marco Andretti scored his third straight runner-up finish.

It all sets up a dramatic showdown at Sharon Speedway next Saturday, where active NASCAR Cup Series stars Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney and local hero/NASCAR and World of Outlaws legend Dave Blaney will join the field for the season finale. Here’s a look at the finishing orders from Saturday night’s action with cumulative points totals, followed by a look at how they’ve shaken up the standings:

Heat 1 Results

1. Ken Schrader (12)

2. Tony Stewart (11)

3. Marco Andretti (10)

4. Hailie Deegan (9)

5. Greg Biffle (8)

6. Ernie Francis Jr. (7)

7. Paul Tracy (6)

8. Michael Waltrip (5)

9. Bobby Labonte (4)

10. Ryan Newman (3)

11. Tony Kanaan (2)

12. Matt Kenseth (1)

13. Ryan Hunter-Reay (1)

Heat 2 Results

1. Tony Stewart (23)

2. Tony Kanaan (13)

3. Ernie Francis Jr. (17)

4. Matt Kenseth (10)

5. Ryan Hunter-Reay (9)

6. Bobby Labonte (11)

7. Ryan Newman (9)

8. Hailie Deegan (14)

9. Ken Schrader (16)

10. Greg Biffle (11)

11. Marco Andretti (12)

12. Michael Waltrip (6)

13. Paul Tracy (7)

Feature Results

1. Tony Stewart (48)

2. Marco Andretti (34)

3. Ken Schrader (36)

4. Ryan Newman (27)

5. Greg Biffle (27)

6. Ernie Francis Jr. (31)

7. Michael Waltrip (18)

8. Paul Tracy (17)

9. Hailie Deegan (22)

10. Tony Kanaan (19)

11. Bobby Labonte (15)

12. Matt Kenseth (12)

13. Ryan Hunter-Reay (10)

Point Standings

Note: All point totals are carried over from last week’s coverage and may differ from published SRX totals.

1. Marco Andretti, 168

2. Ryan Newman, 162

3. Tony Stewart, 157

4. Bobby Labonte, 155

5. Greg Biffle, 130

6. Local Hero Car, 129

7. Paul Tracy, 105

8. Helio Castroneves, 99

9. #5 Camping World Car, 94

10. Tony Kanaan, 89

11. Ryan Hunter-Reay, 86

12. Michael Waltrip, 77

The return to dirt has set up Stewart’s chances at a repeat championship beautifully. While Andretti and Newman are still ahead of him for the moment, what had been a more than 20-point deficit to third is now gone. While we only have a sample size of one for Newman in this car on dirt—and that came with some heavy damage from the first heat to boot—Andretti finished seventh and fourth in the two dirt features from Knoxville and Eldora last year, while Labonte was sixth and 11th, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Local Hero car may end up a cumulative top-five performer when all is said and done, thanks in part to track co-owner Schrader giving it its strongest run since Bubba Pollard in the season opener from Five Flags Speedway. It’s been a stronger performer than the second Camping World car, which has just one podium with Matt Kenseth at Nashville; that said, if you tacked Justin Marks’ 12 points from Stafford and Deegan’s 22 from I-55 onto Castroneves’ 99, that trio’s performance in the maroon car would outrank them both.