In the final 56 laps of the 2022 Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), season-opening at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan traded the lead five times, with Castroneves eventually securing a 1.7-second lead over second.

Following the victory, Castroneves told Matt Yocum, "This is wonderful." "Thank you to all of you, SRX. It's astounding beyond belief.

Castroneves hinted that this victory in the stock cars would pave the way for bigger things.

I had a bet with [SRX CEO Don] Hawk," Castroneves said. He'll give me one NASCAR race if I win the race, I said.

After placing 12th in Heat 1, Castroneves won the second heat of the evening.

Between those two races, the field is inverted, and the pure air aided in his easy victory.

Intense side-by-side racing between Castroneves and fellow Brazil native Kanaan and between the "Local Hero" Bubba Pollard and Ryan Newman did little to alleviate the 75-lap race's sweltering interior temperatures, which reached up to 150 degrees. Pollard and Newman's impasse cost Castroneves a significant portion of his lead.

Pollard won Heat 1. However, he had to start the second race at the rear of the pack.

In the 33-lap race, which served as solid preparation for the main event, he advanced to second. 15 of the first 19 laps were led by Pollard.

Pollard told the Pensacola News Journal, "I regret I got a flat tyre, but these (SRX) guys were great. It reminded me of my early Super Late Model days when you had to cling on and do everything you could.

"I hope we've earned the respect of the short-track community. It is even more unique because it is done at Five Flags. I learned how to succeed in various situations at this location. Racers at Five Flags taught me to respect and patience."

In his SRX debut, Newman managed to hold on to finish third, with Bobby Labonte finishing out the top five in fourth and Kanaan in fourth.

Castroneves' maiden SRX victory came after he finished second last year at the 0.5-mile dirt track Eldora Speedway, owned by Tony Stewart, one of the series' creators. At the time, Castroneves said that winning had improved his driving ability.

He was an afterthought that increased the lineup from 12 to 13 vehicles.

• BUBBA POLLARD

• RYAN NEWMAN

• TONY KANAAN

• BOBBY LABONTE

• GREG BIFFLE

• MARCO ANDRETTI

• RYAN HUNTER-REAY

• BILL ELLIOTT

• TONY STEWART

• ERNIE FRANCIS JR.

• PAUL TRACY

• HELIO CASTRONEVES

• MICHAEL WALTRIP