While the Next Gen car is set to be introduced in NASCAR racing, it is far from a finished and polished product.
There is an ongoing debate as to whether the Next Gen car will be live up to its expectations, with many drivers criticizing various aspects of the car on many occasions.
The seventh-generation car is expected to bring about improvement in not just racing but also the business model of the sports. However, in the time ravaged by the pandemic, this change might not be fully realized in one season.
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After the latest test at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. was still not satisfied with some aspects of the car.
“The car is not where it needs to be, and people are scrambling. We’ve got to make some changes. We need to make it better so we can race with it, put on a show for the fans.”
But probably the aim is not for the car to be in perfect and complete condition when it debuts on Feb. 6 for the Busch Light Clash at Los Angeles Coliseum. John Probst, NASCAR’s senior vice president of racing innovation said that they will take input from every race to improve the car throughout the season.
“We are confident that the racing will continue to be strong each week, and will only improve as teams continue to dial in their cars throughout the season.”
That would certainly be the talking point of the 2022 season: how drivers and teams cope with the Next Gen car and how the car will develop as the season progresses.