“The cars just drive in a line, and they just run. And they run and they run. Looked like a pace lap every time,” said Richard Petty, the King himself, ripping the Next-Gen car after the disappointing outing at Talladega. The acrid scent of burning rubber, the ear-shattering scream of 40 engines, and the electric hum of a crowded grandstand at Talladega Superspeedway—this is NASCAR in its rawest form. Talladega used to be NASCAR’s wild soul—a place where 40 cars screamed four-wide at 190 mph, drivers danced on the precipice of catastrophe, and anyone with the hunger and proper plan could blast from 18th to the win in the ending laps! However, the cars have killed a familiar excitement and thrill. Why?
The Next Gen car, rolled out in 2022 with promises of closer competition and thrilling races, is now the sport’s biggest villain. Drivers are frustrated, legends are sounding alarms, and fans are ready to walk away. Talladega’s latest race laid bare just how deep the trouble runs. Designed to level the playing field with standardized parts and advanced aerodynamics, it aimed to make races tighter and more affordable for teams. Now, the charter deal prices are already through the roof, and players cannot win if their teammates do not carry them forward. And this dependency on bump-drafting is taking the fun away to the point of frustration. Do not believe us? Ask the winningest driver at Bristol!
NASCAR is a fan-losing sport now, forcing changes to the Next-Gen car
Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, didn’t mince words after a frustrating day. “You try to go for a win and make a move and pull out of line, and then if only one guy goes with you, you’re both going to the back. So that guy doesn’t want to go with you. You’ve got to have a slew of eight of them to go with you to do anything,” he said, highlighting how the car’s tight aerodynamic package punishes drivers for daring to break out of line. The result? Races where strategy, not skill, dictates the outcome. Safety is another sore spot. Flipping cars at superspeedways isn’t new, but the Next Gen’s design has raised fresh concerns.
The backlash isn’t just from the cockpit. Jeff Gluck’s weekly X poll captured the mood after Talladega: “Disclaimer: Poll is not good news this week, so hide your eyes if you don’t like negativity. Was Talladega a good race? 39% of you said Yes. — Lowest of 19 Talladega races in the poll. Previous low: 42%, Talladega fall 2018. — Second-lowest of 45 superspeedway races in the poll. Only the 2019 Clash at Daytona was lower (20.9%). — As @_DanielCespedes notes, this is the first time in poll history that four consecutive races have earned less than 51% Yes (Martinsville 50.9%, Darlington 45.9%, Bristol 21.1%, Talladega 39%).” The numbers tell a brutal story—fans aren’t buying what NASCAR’s selling. The poll’s landslide “No” vote wasn’t about a lack of crashes but a lack of passing, of drivers flexing their skill to carve through the field. The Next Gen’s design, meant to equalize competition, has made cars so similar that breaking away is nearly impossible.
Disclaimer: Poll is not good news this week, so hide your eyes if you don’t like negativity.
Was Talladega a good race? 39% of you said Yes.
— Lowest of 19 Talladega races in the poll. Previous low: 42%, Talladega fall 2018.
— Second-lowest of 45 superspeedway races in the…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 29, 2025
Chase Elliott, a fan favorite, spoke candidly: “I’m sure there’s always improvements we can make. I’m certainly not an expert in that area to know exactly what that is or isn’t. I think the big flat piece that is bolted to the bottom of the car, when it sees wind, it tends to act as a flat sheet. That I think is going to be a tough thing to navigate, regardless. Again, not an expert. I’m not going to act like I’m an expert or understand or know what the fix is.” Denny Hamlin, never one to shy away from the truth, said, “It’s gonna be really hard to keep ’em on the ground just because any kind of certain speed and certain angles, things are gonna fly. But I don’t know. I haven’t seen that many bad injuries from flips. I get it. We don’t want ’em to go up in the fence.” The fear is real—drivers are risking their lives, and the car’s flaws are making it harder to stay safe.
Team owners and NASCAR royalty are piling on. Hendrick Motorsports empire has dominated the sport, and the lad there is now pushing for changes in the car. Kyle Larson, one of the sport’s most versatile talents, admitted that the car’s handling on superspeedways is a constant struggle. And, even the 3-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano has been crushed by the car’s limitations. He was so frustrated by being outdone by Bubba Wallace in stage 2 that he fired shots at his teammate, Austin Cindric, for not drafting him forward.
With every passing day, the chorus of discontent is growing louder. The sports leaders are feeling the heat, but solutions are slow to come. NASCAR’s insistence on sticking with the Next Gen has put them at odds with fans and even icons like the King. The sport is at a crossroads—fix the car, or risk losing the fans who’ve carried it for generations. But, what do the fans want?
Fans are done with NASCAR’s excuses for the Next-Gen car
It looks like fans have already picked sides, and the heavier side demands changes. One X user’s plea captures the nostalgia: “Bring back the wickers on the roof and spoilers so someone could win the race from 18th place with 5 laps to go.” It’s a call for the Talladega of yesteryear, where aerodynamic tweaks like wickers and bigger spoilers gave drivers the edge to surge through the field. The Next Gen’s aero package, as Busch told, punishes bold moves, leaving drivers like Ryan Preece and Austin Cindric, who battled fiercely on laps 186-188, stuck in the draft too often. That final-lap duel, where Cindric nipped Preece by 0.022 seconds, was a rare highlight in a race with 65 lead changes that somehow felt flat. Fans want more of those heart-stopping moments, not races hinging on who saves the most gas. Fans called Talladega “boring,” which underscores the gap between NASCAR’s past and present.
Another fan’s critique cuts deeper: “The car is fundamentally flawed because there’s not many barnburner races/parity/‘moments to overshadow it like there was in the first 2 or 3 years of the car.” The Next Gen’s early days had dazzled—Ross Chastain’s 2022 heroics, Daniel Suárez’s breakthroughs. But now, the car’s equalizer effect has gone too far, creating a field where no one can break free. Manufacturer alliances, like the Toyotas running single-file on lap 144, dilute the individualism that fans love. Logano’s struggles and William Byron’s steering issues on lap 116 show how the car hobbles even the best. With 54 lead changes by lap 155, the raw numbers sound exciting, but fans feel cheated sometimes when strategy, not skill, drives the action. Fan reactions confirm they’re tuning out without those iconic moments.
“The poll is correct. Not because of no wrecks, but because of a lack of passing where drivers have some pedal,” another fan posted, tying their frustration to the poll. The race’s four cautions for 22 laps didn’t help, but the real issue was the Next Gen’s aero package. Passing was tough—look at Larson challenging Byron for second on lap 174 or Logano creeping up on lap 159, only to stall out. Drivers can’t use throttle to muscle through; they’re tethered to the draft, as seen when Preece edged Byron for the lead on lap 182. “NASCAR needs to fix the Damn car!” the fan demanded, the car kills racing. The fans’ plea is clear: let drivers drive.
Finally, a fan’s analogy stings: “The skill to run 4 wide at 190+ mph is incredible, but if everyone is that fast it’s like watching traffic on 485 outer from Huntersville – Rock Hill.” The precision is jaw-dropping—think of the four-wide battles on laps 4 and 9, with Josh Berry, Michael McDowell, and Zane Smith during it. But when the Next Gen locks everyone at the same speed, it’s a high-speed convoy, not a race. Fuel mileage plays, like the pit strategies on laps 171-172, and manufacturer teamwork, like Toyota’s dominance on lap 134, make it feel scripted. Hamlin’s safety fears and Larson’s handling woes show the car robs drivers of control. Fans wanted the chaos of old-school Talladega, and they’ll ditch the Next Gen if NASCAR doesn’t deliver.
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