Ernie Francis Jr. rejoins SRX at I-55

Ernie Francis Jr. will be back for more Superstar Racing Experience action as he enters this Saturday’s race at I-55 Speedway. He was initially scheduled to run just the first two races of the year at Five Flags Speedway and South Boston Speedway.

“13. Unfinished Business,” began an SRX social media post. “@ErnieFrancisJr will join the field for @I55Raceway, carrying @CornwellTools onboard his No. 99 entry.”

Francis finished runner-up in the inaugural SRX championship in 2021 to founder Tony Stewart with a win at Indianapolis, but downsized to a part-time slate for 2022 as he focuses on a full-time Indy Lights schedule. He finished eleventh and seventh in his first two 2022 SRX races, which were done in the #5 though he now moves to the #99 that Justin Marks piloted at Stafford Speedway.

I-55 will be Francis’ third foray into dirt racing in SRX after finishing third at Knoxville Raceway and eighth at Eldora Speedway in 2021. The Pevely track is one of two dirt circuits on the 2022 calendar alongside the season finale at Sharon Speedway.

The seven-time Trans-Am Series champion is currently eleventh in Indy Lights points with a best finish of seventh in the opener at St. Petersburg. Matt Brabham, winner of that St. Petersburg race, told The Checkered Flag in March that he believes Francis would be a good fit for the Stadium Super Trucks, a series that has drawn some comparison to SRX as both are run by former NASCAR drivers and emphasise driver skill in identical vehicles.