The Next-Gen is hopefully going to get a major overhaul that helps pack racing.
Introduced in 2022 as the Next-Gen, the newest platform of NASCAR, it took the sport further away from stock car racing. It is essentially a homologated body and engine with decals and body kits strapped on according to the maker and the teams. As for the fans? They absolutely despise this new car. A major gripe they hold against the Next-Gen card is the fact that these cars can't catch up in the lead. The Next-Gen was decided with increasing road courses in mind. So quite naturally, it's aerodynamics that make it an unfollowable missile when it's alone.
But this is NASCAR, not Formula 1 or Supercars. Stock car racing is focused on ovals and not road courses. Naturally, these cars are always causing a multitude of problems on Ovals. The Next-Gen is always under criticism for being easier to control and harder to follow and catch during the longer runs. Thus, it's no wonder that once a driver escapes the pack, they can easily claim a huge lead during the race and guarantee themselves a certain shot at victory.
But not for long; something huge is coming
Denny Hamlin, like many other drivers in the grid, is an absolute fan of the O'Reilly car. In fact, Cup drivers love getting one-off starts and part-time schedules in the O'Reilly races. Their hobby has helped the O'Reilly series gain a lot of traction among mainstream media and the NASCAR community. The NOAPS car is based loosely off of the Gen-6 NASCAR. For now, it seems to be the go-to choice for both fans and drivers when it comes to NASCAR racing.
And according to Hamlin, the next-gen car is going to get upgraded into a better version of the NOAPS platform.
"I’m not really sure how you’re going to get rid of that advantage that the front car has. I know NASCAR is actively working on trying to get the pitch back in the cars,"Hamlin said during his podcast Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin.
"But you know, getting the platform back to where the O’Reilly’s car is. Where jamming air behind somebody is something that happens that you know they’re trying. They’re working on that behind the scenes.”
By now almost everyone in the NASCAR community knows that the sport is hungry for fans. The leadership is desperate to gain their reputation back and earn their loyal fans. The likelihood of fans getting swayed by IndyCar and Formula 1 are also among the constant threats faced by NASCAR.
The short-track package is the best example of some of the methods that NASCAR is trying every day. With a rough-handling car that has far more horsepower than usual, NASCAR is trying to make racing fiery and chaotic at short tracks. It might not be the perfect solution, but at least it is better than sitting around doing nothing.
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