The SRL Southwest Tour Series is a Late Model racing league operating since 2001. The series is a continuation of the Tri-Track Challenge run in California between 1997 and 2000. The series is also connected to the former Supermodified Racing League, previously headed by Davey Hamilton. Through the years the series expanded its racing calendar as well as racing series adding spec late model series and Legends car racing.
In January 2001 the promoters of Altamont and Madera tried to found a series the same rules as the existing NASCAR Elite Division. Davey Hamilton and Rick Gerhardt, promoting a California-based supermodified racing division under the Supermodified Racing League sanctioning body offered to sanction the new late model series under their umbrella. The SRL Wild West Shootout Late Model Series was founded for the 2001 season with Altamont and Madera running six races each. Stockton returned on the calendar for the 2002 season. Gerhardt sold his interest in the series at the beginning of 2004 to Steve Fensler. For 2005 the supermodified division was sold to form the Western States Supermodified Racing League. The late model series continued under the management of Fensler.
SRL Southwest Tour
For 2006 the SRL Southwest Tour was formed in affiliation with the ASA. After the announcement that the NASCAR Elite Division would be disbanded after the 2006 season the NASCAR organisation encouraged the Elite Division teams to join the SRL series. Legends car racing was introduced in the SRL series in 2010. With spec legends cars built by US Legend Cars the series was run following the INEX regulations. Cale Kanke won the first two seasons before graduating into the Southwest Tour in 2015. In 2011 Sean Rayhall and Ben Rhodes were some of the guest starters in the series. Despite attracting large grids, the series was discontinued after the 2015 season. For 2013 the S2 class was introduced, later renamed as the spec late model class. The series focused on young drivers coming from go-karts or legends racing. The first season was won by Ryan Cansdale who later graduated into the main Southwest Tour. The 2014 season was won by Brandon Weaver. A pre-season non-championship race, the SRL Winter Showdown, was introduced in 2015. The race at Kern County Raceway Park invited many non-SRL racers to compete for the crown. New to the SRL series were Dustin Ash, Preston Peltier, Dalton Sargeant among others. South-eastern based short track specialist Bubba Pollard won the first two editions of the race.