Drivers across the Xfinity and Truck Series have been saying that the cars drive a lot better than the Next Gen car in the Cup Series over the past several weeks. These criticisms largely stem from the flaws of the Next Gen and its inability to facilitate passes. But what is the point of complaining without end when there is no solution?
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Carson Hocevar, the young Spire Motorsports driver, spoke to the press at Kansas earlier this month and expressed his thoughts about all the criticisms surrounding the Cup Series racing product. As much as he is frustrated with not being able to drive past competitors, he understands that letting the frustration get to him will get him nowhere.
He said, “It’s irrelevant for us if we’re going to complain and don’t have true solutions that are proven, right? And I think that’s where a lot of us are.
“We complain, but we only complain to a certain extent because we don’t have a solution. So if you’re really complaining, then if you don’t have a solution, what do you expect to change if you don’t have the solution?”
Hocevar is leaving it to the higher-ups to figure out a solution. Ultimately, he just wants to have fun racing and not anger himself by finding it difficult to pass. He also pointed out that drivers like Kyle Larson, who consistently lead the majority of laps in a race, wouldn’t mind how things are right now. But that might not be entirely true.
Larson compares Xfinity to Next Gen
Larson has participated in a fair number of Xfinity Series races this season. The experience made him realize that it is a far more enjoyable experience to race in the second tier than to race in the premier tier. He said after winning the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 at Texas, “You can run much closer to people in Xfinity, which is nice.”
“Kind of run in their wake a little bit better, and not be upset. So, the Cup [Series] car is much tougher to get to people and pass them. You can’t really manipulate their car. So, yeah, that makes it fun. When you get to come back to Xfinity and kind of not worry about dirty air quite as much,” Larson added.
Others, including Denny Hamlin and William Byron, have shared similar thoughts. In the promotion’s defense, continuous work is being carried out to fix the racing product on all fronts. Perhaps fans, drivers, and teams just have to trust the process for now, as Hocevar is doing.
