Why Can’t The Teams Fix The Next Gen Car?

Why can’t [NASCAR] let the teams fix the flaws with the Next Gen car? They could fix it much quicker than NASCAR could. – Christian Bennett, YouTube

After back-to-back weekends at Bristol Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway that saw tire woes dominate the headlines, the handful of solo voices asking for changes to the Next Gen car has turned into a full-fledged chorus.

There are serious problems. The safety is a problem, the reliability is a problem and the tires are a problem. But having the teams fix it … to paraphrase the great Jeff Goldblum: “You’re so preoccupied with whether or not NASCAR could, you won’t stop to think if they should!”

With all the changes we’ve seen between the sixth- and seventh-generation racecars, from 18-inch wheels, center-lock lugs, five-speed transaxles, independent rear suspension and more (diffusers, forward numbers, etc.), I would argue the single most significant change has nothing to do with the cars themselves and everything to do with the way they are built.

Single-source suppliers is the buzzword of the day. If you ask Kyle Busch, they’re “bought at Walmart.” If you ask Kevin Harvick …

If flames are your game, add a crappy-ass parts shirt to your cart! 🔗in bio. pic.twitter.com/duh2EAwDKi

— HappysEShop (@KHI_ESHOP) September 19, 2022

While spec-chassis NASCAR brings to a close 70 years of custom-fabricated racing machines, one could argue it calls back 71 years to the inaugural season of Strictly Stock competition, where in the very first race, Glen Dunaway’s Ford was disqualified for having an illegally modified suspension, awarding the victory to runner-up Jim Roper and his Lincoln. Welcome to a brave new world, same as the old. 

While independent rear suspensions, electronic fuel injection and aluminum alloy wheels do make Next Gen Cup cars resemble contemporary high-performance street cars a lot closer than the old four-speed, live-axle monsters did, I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that we’ve returned to Strictly Stock. 

I will, however, point to IndyCar as proof of concept for NASCAR’s new variation on manufacturer-supported spec racing. The NTT IndyCar Series has been using a single chassis supplier since 2009, and the spec Dallara chassis regularly produces close racing, upset winners and, most importantly, great entertainment.

While the Next Gen design itself needs a serious overhaul, I still have faith in the listed-parts formula once the kinks are ironed…