
CBS Sports Hits the Road With F&F for Superstar Racing Experience Production Short tracks are the focus of attention in the six-week series By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Friday, June 11, 2021 - 11:32 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The roots of auto racing invariably filter down from massive multimillion-dollar speedways to asphalt and dirt short tracks across America. For the next six weeks, some of those tracks will be front and center as the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) brings 12 racing legends to small-town USA, bringing world-class drivers to world-class short tracks.
CBS coverage of SRX races will bring dirt tracks to primetime network TV this summer.
Grassroots tracks on a Saturday night is something I think people will enjoy seeing because that is a really fun time, with tailgating and an electricity at the night races, says Pam Miller, SRX producer, CBS Sports. And each track has its little traditions. So having all of these guys who are icons and legends on the track with the families is pretty cool and a really great thing.
An interesting aspect of the production is that the entire production team (about 70) will be onsite because many of the tracks simply don't have the fiber and other connectivity required to transport signals to remote production teams, according to Jim Cornell, SRX director, CBS Sports. F&F Productions will provide production facilities, with GTX 20 A and B and GTX 12A onsite to provide ample space for the team. BSI will also be on hand with its truck for in-car-camera support.
For the two hours we're on the air, says Cornell, everything will be onsite. When people complain about not having internet service in certain places, it's a reality that needs to be addressed and something we've experienced first-hand.
SRX drivers include legends Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, Tony Kanaan, Paul Tracy, Bobby Labonte, and 2021 Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves. Seeing well-established superstars with well-established rivalries racing in identical cars is something both Miller and Cornell are looking forward to. Local stars on each track will also be in the race, giving it a dimension unique to the event.
The 12 guys are true characters, says Miller, and they will get into equal cars to try to see who's the better driver and who has the most courage on that night. They may come across as friends, but, once they put that helmet on, they want to beat each other.
F&F's FTX20 will be on site for all six SRX races.
Cornell is looking forward to the level of access to the drivers the production team will have. Not only are there only 12 of them, but they are not part of larger racing teams or league.
We're used having to deal with organizations that like to say no, he says, but everything so far has been yes, yes, yes. I think the guys at SRX realized that there's also an entertainment part. Access, he notes, ranges from being able to listen in to in-car communications live during the race to the different camera angles of the in-car cameras and the use of drones.
We're going to have access with the drones that is going to open up some eyes as to what other sports can do with them, he says. There's a heavy drone and a lighter, high-speed drone, which I believe can go 50-70 mph. We're not going to be able to keep up with the cars, but I don't think we're going to be blimp-distance away.
Beverly Hills Aerials will provide the drone coverage, and Cornell hopes to get some unique angles on the action given how small the tracks are. The drivers won't be afraid to bump each other well, and I'll be able to get a drone over the top and close enough to see the cars bumping each other, which will be interesting.
Along with the personalities of the drivers are the features and differences of the tracks, beginning with that some are dirt tracks. The opening race will be held at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, CT, and SRX co-founder Ray Evernham says the open-wheel-modified division there has been a breeding ground for racing families.
What we wanted to do was find historic tracks that have not just a difficulty factor but a great following, a great DNA in motorsports, he explains. [Stafford Motor Speedway] has sent many people up the ladder to stock-car racing, like the Bodines, the Bouchards, Richie Evans, and people like the Andrettis and Gordon Johncock, who have gone off to Indy.
Miller says dirt tracks will also give viewers something brand new, especially since the races are in primetime. All six Camping World SRX Series races will be broadcast live on CBS, with broadcast coverage streaming live on Paramount+ Premium.
There is a different feeling at a race on a dirt track, says Miller, and I don't recall every having seen a dirt track in primetime on a network. That is going to be unique for people. The way these guys race on dirt is fascinating because it's different. They have to go into the corners different, they have to have a cushion as they get closer to the wall, and they have to find grip and the places they can find an advantage.
Each race will begin with two 15-minute heats that set up the main event, which will be 100 laps (Slinger Speedway in Wisconsin, because it is so short, will have 150 laps).
You can't breathe on a lap at Slinger as it's a 10- to 12-second lap, notes Miller. Stafford is just really cool and feels like you're at the old Fenway Park as you walk to the track through a neighborhood. There's a great mix of heritage, and all the asphalt tracks even have different corners, different banking, and different challenges that I think will be just as exciting as the dirt tracks.
CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus is already looking forward to the SRX finale at th
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
14/04/2026
ToolsOnAir and Omnistream Bring Mobile SRT Contribution into Professional 24/7 P...
14/04/2026
Haivision has announced the Falkon X4, a 5G mobile video transmitter for live broadcast and remote production. The device will be showcased at NAB Show 2026.
...
14/04/2026
Founded by veterans of the production-truck world, Stripe TV was born out of a d...
14/04/2026
Grass Valley has expanded its partnership with Studio Berlin, supplying 12 LDX 135 UHD/HDR camera systems and 12 LDX 180 Super 35mm cinematic cameras, including...
14/04/2026
LTN has announced two senior appointments ahead of NAB Show 2026: Mark Romano as Vice President, Multichannel Platforms, and Edward Cox as Vice President, Sales...
14/04/2026
Sennheiser and Italian rental company Agor have begun preparations for their Eu...
14/04/2026
DAZN and ADI Predictstreet have announced a partnership to integrate ADI Predict...
14/04/2026
Deltatre has announced the completion of a direct-to-fan website and app for Leg...
14/04/2026
Daktronics, will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 in partnership with Grass Valley at Booth C2408, Las Vegas Convention Center, April 19-22.
Daktronics will showcase a...
14/04/2026
Backblaze will host a series of partner presentations at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1259, North Hall), open to all exhibition hall badge holders. Showcase partners i...
14/04/2026
BRAHMA AI will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2415, West Hall), demonstrating its Enterprise AI Content Platform for media, entertainment, sports, and technol...
14/04/2026
Bridge Technologies has announced that its VB440 production probe has been integrated into NEP Platform, NEP Group's software orchestration system. The inte...
14/04/2026
Clear-Com will introduce new products and demonstrate its communications ecosystem for broadcast and live production at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C5807, April 19-22)...
14/04/2026
EZDRM will use NAB Show 2026 (Booth W2260) to introduce the Revenue Security Prism, a framework for combining multiple security technologies to protect streamin...
14/04/2026
Telos Alliance will introduce the following products at NAB Show 2026:
TV and Media
Telos Infinity MK2 Panels: A new generation of hardware control panels for...
14/04/2026
Panasonic Video and Audio Systems North America will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth C3509), demonstrating IP- and IT-based production solutions for sports, bro...
14/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
14/04/2026
Blackmagic Design will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N2502). CEO Grant Petty s product announcement livestream is available at youtube.com. The company announ...
14/04/2026
The deal establishes a close strategic alignment' between the iconic cinema...
14/04/2026
BIGSHOT Media, with support from Teradek, produced untamed African mountain-bike race' with daily coverage and highlights show
The 2026 Absa Cape EPIC, an...
14/04/2026
The Sports Video Group (SVG) today announced the launch of the SVG AI Innovation...
14/04/2026
Captures a trio of renowned polysynths
The latest software to join AIR Music Tech's extensive catalogue captures the sound of three sought-after polysyn...
14/04/2026
Free offering includes 10 powerful plug-ins
United Plugins have announced the launch of a new bundle that brings together 10 of their pro-audio plug-ins, an...
14/04/2026
Julian Coryell joins virtual session player line-up
Announced at NAMM 2026, Celemony's Tonalic kits DAW users out with real performances by world-class ...
14/04/2026
WESCAM MX -Series EO/IR Systems Provide Critical Visibility During NASA Re-Entry Operations....
14/04/2026
DiSCO reduces uncertainty during the fog of war in modern threat environments an...
14/04/2026
GOES-19 imagery captured by L3Harris-built Advanced Baseline Imager technology helps forecasters issue life-saving weather warnings. Credit: NOAA/NASA...
14/04/2026
For decades, understanding the physical world from space has required a trade-of...
14/04/2026
Ruiz has helped fuel growth for both client-side and media companies, including, most recently, TelevisaUnivision.
He will spearhead transformation, innovatio...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/04/2026
Shotoku Introduces the World to Aura P2 PTZ Prompter Panner at NAB 2026
New system removes PTZ pan restrictions for teleprompter-based productions
Shotoku US...
14/04/2026
Integration of Vantage, Pulse, and Telestream UP with Grass Valley AMPP Ecosystem enables scalable, interoperable workflows spanning live production and file-ba...
14/04/2026
Enterprise growth leader to scale Dalet's next phase of innovation and global expansion
New York, NY April 14, 2026 Dalet, a leading technology and ser...
14/04/2026
Berklee Celebrates Prince's Legacy in Two-Night Signature Series Event Directed by Tia Fuller, the Prince Project (April 16-17) brings together more than ...
14/04/2026
Arooj Aftab Is Anything but Predictable The singular artist explores the juxtaposition of grief and joy, dark and light, in her distinctive sound.
April 14, ...
14/04/2026
Appear launches include XM estate management and new X Platform processing enhancements to add density for next-generation hybrid & IP workflows, X5 is also now...
14/04/2026
Addressing the needs of a new generation's viewing habits, Synamedia launches GO Shorts. The AI-powered module turns existing catalogues into TikTok-style ...
14/04/2026
Vubiquity, an Amdocs company and global leader in technology-led media services, will be showcasing a new end-to-end streaming solution in collaboration with El...
14/04/2026
LiveU today announced a significant expansion of its collaboration with Sony Corporation, introducing integrated support for Sony's file-based workflow solu...
14/04/2026
Open Broadcast Systems (https://www.obe.tv/) has announced that BBC World Service has selected its decoders for IP Television distribution. The high-quality, lo...
14/04/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces DaVinci Resolve 21
Brie Clayton April 14, 2026
0 Comments
Major update adds new Photo page bringing Hollywood's most a...