Just like every other major change brings towards itself, NASCAR’s Next Gen car also attracted as much praise as it did criticism. There were those who embraced the new mold of the racecar and the regulations that came with it. Then there were those who didn’t appreciate the radical departure from the previous generation of racecars all that much. So, in which category does Chase Elliott fall into?
Advertisement
A direct, clear-cut answer to this question may never be found out considering Elliott’s attitude towards voicing his opinions, especially radical ones. However, his recent comments might just suggest that NASCAR’s most popular driver may not be a big fan of the Next Gen car.
When asked about his thoughts on the new tire compound and if it has made a difference for him, Elliott said as per Jeff Gluck, “Man, I’ll shoot you super straight. They change the tire all the time. Not only does it not make the racing look any different, but it’s really hard to tell from inside the car. Regardless of whatever compound they put on — and I’m not saying it doesn’t change things, because it does — but they are such minute things.”
“It’s not gonna look any different. You’re never gonna hear about it. I don’t mean that negatively, but the cars are what they are. We’re racing on asphalt and there are four tires. It can only be so different. Typically, the same guys run good every week whether there’s a tire compound change or not.”
This @chaseelliott answer to @Cole_Cusumano_‘s question about the new tire compound and whether it made a difference was memorable and will stick in my head for a bit.
“Man, I’ll shoot you super straight. They change the tire all the time. Not only does it not make the racing…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 9, 2024
Of course, what Chase Elliott said in this context and through these words may not be a criticism of the Next Gen car after all. But a few fans did think that Elliott was subtly taking a dig on the new car.
And anyway, it’s not like he hasn’t outrightly criticized the Next Gen car before.
Chase Elliott slammed NASCAR for going ‘backward’ in 2022
Back in 2022, in its first season, a major flaw surfaced in the design of the Next Gen car. And that was reflected in how often and how severely drivers were taking the force of wrecks. This led to a flood of criticism coming NASCAR’s way from many big names in the sport, including Chase Elliott.
“These types of incidents that result in injuries … I’m not a doctor, but I’ve watched a lot of cars back into the wall and the guy would be fine. No one’s immune to it. It could be me next week. It could be any of my peers or fellow competitors. I just hate to see us go backward, and I’m afraid that we have,” he said as per Associated Press.
Of course, since then, NASCAR has improved the safety aspect of the Next Gen car much, much more. Improvements have also been made, and are constantly being made to improve the car by the governing body. But there are still the ones who choose to look at what can be improved, or in other words, what can be criticized.
The question now is, is Chase Elliott one of those critics of the Next Gen car?
