With the birth of the Next Gen car for the start of the 2022 season, NASCAR embarked on one of its most ambitious resets of the sport, and industry, in decades. With teams no longer constructing their own chassis and components, the aim was to help them financially, while ensuring on-track competition would reach heights never seen before. The goal is that on any given weekend, every team has a chance to win.
With its dramatic design departure from the Gen 6 vehicle, the hope that the Next Gen would increase competition across the schedule largely held true, with the 2023 season featuring 15 different winners, and over 150,000 total passes within the top 15 positions during the season’s races.
NASCAR diligently reviews every race, both from a technical perspective and from television / fan feedback. In general, at large and fast tracks, the new car performed admirably in the eyes of NASCAR followers, with races trending above average in terms of fan scoring. Short tracks and road courses, however, have been more challenging, albeit with some notable exceptions.
That, therefore, is where development has been focussed for year two. But improving the racing at these more demanding courses is not a one-dimensional concept, and solving it will take efforts in all areas of the car,
