Kyle Petty Sparks Outrage After Defending NASCAR’s Next Gen Car: “His Only Relevance Is His Last Name”

The NASCAR Next Gen car has been receiving criticism since it was introduced in 2022. While it offers significant advancements in terms of engineering and safety, its performance standards have caused backlash. As the negativity against the car rages on, Kyle Petty has come out and defended it.

The former driver said on PRN recently that the Next Gen car is a huge leap forward on many fronts. Petty suggested that the fandom ought to be celebrating and enjoying it.

“It was an antiquated car that we were racing, and people seemed to want to have the antiquated car. This car jumped leap years ahead,” said Petty, who also expressed his disappointment with icons like Dale Earnhardt Jr., who had criticized it recently.

Junior had expressed on Dale Jr. Download that the Next Gen car isn’t even a stock car. He believes that it leans more towards being a sports car and that its braking zones are all too messed up to make passes on track.

Petty pushed back on that take by Junior. “We have to adjust to it. This is the racing that we have. Embrace it. Enjoy it. We are seeing some spectacular stuff on the race track. I think it’s only going to get better.”

He also pointed out how people have been complaining about progress throughout history and that it shouldn’t be the case. However, Petty’s opinions weren’t received well by the fans on social media.

One fan commented rather harshly: “What the f**k does Kyle Petty have to do with this? He needs to keep his dumba** comments to himself. He has no credibility in the sport. His only relevance is his last name.”

There’s been a lot of criticism of the Next Gen car lately. @kylepetty says it’s unwarranted: https://t.co/URPn5dB0kj

— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) August 11, 2025

Another social media user added, “Sorry to say, but Kyle has been on the wrong side of a lot of issues lately.” 

One enthusiast said, “The average fan is not upset about the lack of ‘stock’ in ‘stock car’ racing. We are upset that there is no racing going on at most of these tracks. The car is all defense and zero offense. Drivers cannot push a top 15 car into the top 5-10.”

A fourth attacked Petty with a personal remark: “Kyle’s opinion doesn’t matter. He didn’t have a great NASCAR run, let alone having been in this car racing. His comments are unwarranted.” 

Besides the hate for the Next Gen car, another reason for this hit back at Petty might be his stand against Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the most loved icons in the sport.