Did You Notice? … The NASCAR Next Gen chassis has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks?
The latest round of criticism came after last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, where the sport’s short track handling package struggled at Thunder Valley.
Despite another surprise winner this season, Chris Buescher, his upset felt drowned out this week by complaints from drivers about single-file racing and a complete inability to pass.
Add in a rash of right front tire failures, ending someone’s night at a moment’s notice and faulty Goodyears replaced fender-banging crashes in making Bristol a frustrating race of attrition. That shifted the pressure to pit road, where pit crews ultimately decided the race when Kevin Harvick’s fell apart after failure to secure all four wheels on their final stop.
“Just went from having a chance to lead the parade to being a part of the parade,” Harvick said.
“Passing was just impossible…” added Denny Hamlin. “It’s tough. I’d like to see the racing improved overall.”
Bristol marked the fourth time out of four short track races this season we’ve seen lead changes decrease from the previous year. The Bristol night race featured just 12 overall, the fewest at that track since 2009 and nearly half of what we saw last fall.
NASCAR CUP SERIES SHORT TRACKS
| Track | 2021 Lead Changes | 2022 Lead Changes | % Decrease |
| Martinsville Speedway | 18 | 5 | -72% |
| Richmond Raceway (1) | 20 | 13 | -35% |
| Richmond Raceway (2) | 21 | 16 | -24% |
| Bristol Night Race | 23 | 12 | -48% |
That’s 36 fewer lead changes, a significant number considering how much the Next Gen has increased competition elsewhere. Through 29 races, lead changes are still up 9% overall, with 552 vs. 507, despite such a steep decline on the short tracks.
To be clear, fewer lead changes don’t always indicate a race is terrible. You might have some incredible racing for second behind a dominant car. But when the declines are this sharp, that’s a strong indicator you’ve got a problem. Add in Goodyears that never wore out, unless they blew out on the racetrack, and it’s clear this car is struggling on smaller tracks.
It’s just the latest headache for this chassis that started the playoffs under a microscope. We’re just two weeks removed from Harvick’s fire at Darlington Raceway, caused without contact when excess rubber presumably lit up the rocker box. The “crappy-ass parts” line the two-time Cup champion used that night was repeated at…
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