Short tracks might not be the only place where the Next-Gen car is lacking. If Sunday was any indication, restrictor plate racing has also been affected. The car requires the drivers to utilize a fuel-saving strategy since it is almost impossible to pass on superspeedways. NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Briscoe spoke about this issue after the Talladega race and was unhappy. The Stewart-Haas Racing car finished a dismal P30 and is now on the verge of elimination.
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The #14 driver said that it was impossible to pass even if one was running hard since the car had a lot of drag. Compared to the Gen-6, it does not have that slinky effect as per Briscoe. He was at a loss for words when asked what NASCAR could do to make things better. Thankfully, this was the final superspeedway race of the season and the organizers will have a lot of time to get a better package to the next superspeedway race.
“I’ve never really thought this style of racing was fun but I will say that it is infuriating, truthfully. You can’t do anything, you’re just stuck…even when we’re all running hard, if you’re not on the front row, you just run where you’re at so yeah…I don’t know what they’re gonna do about that but it’s nearly impossible to pass for sure,” he explained.
The P30 finish at Talladega puts Briscoe at the bottom of the playoffs table. He is 32 points behind the round of 8 cutline and with just one race to go, it seems like his playoff run is coming to an end. That is unless he shocks the world again and manages to take the checkered flag at Charlotte a week later.
Talladega gives fans an unexpected winner again
A late-race wreck involving several cars and a clean-up process that not everyone was happy about is just a regular race day at Talladega Superspeedway. However, through all of this chaos, the track gave fans yet another unexpected race winner in Ricky Stenhouse Jr. The JTG Daugherty Racing driver picked his spot and took his chances. It was a three-wide finish to the line and the #47 driver had his car ahead.
“This team has put a lot of hard work in. Obviously, we haven’t won since the 500 in ’23. It’s been an up-and-down season. It was a lot of hard work this season just trying to find a little bit of speed, but we knew that this track is one of ours to come get,” the 37-year-old said after the race.
Five playoff races have been run so far and three were won by non-playoff drivers. Considering the uncertain nature of the Roval, someone unexpected might win there as well. This puts a lot of pressure on the playoff drivers who have to look at their points equation going into the final round of 12 races of the season.
